Unknown Relations: The Dementors of Azkaban
by ksomm814
Summary: Complete. Third year is here with another challenge:a breakout at Azkaban Prison.Orion Black must now help defend his friends, Hayden and Rose, from those who seek revenge.If only he could sort out the strange voices that come whenever Dementors are near.
1. Ghosts of the Past

_Disclaimer: This story is based on the Prisoner of Azkaban which is not mine. I get nothing from this other than Carpal Tunnel Syndrome...Just kidding :-)_

Chapter 1

Ghosts of the Past

There were times when Orion Black loved living in Black Manor at 12 Grimmauld Place. Tonight, however, was not one of those times. For hours, rain poured, winds howled, lightning flashed and thunder clapped proving just how old the Manor was. Shutters flapped loudly against the windows forcing Orion to pull his bedcovers tightly over his head. For some reason, he hated storms. They always made him feel…uneasy.

To say that Orion was embarrassed of his jumpiness was an understatement. He had, after all, just turned thirteen-years-old and had faced more than any teenage wizard he knew. Last year alone he had encountered a Basilisk, a teenage version of the Dark Lord Voldemort and nearly lost his father, Sirius Black, while doing so.

That action had sparked a change in the Black family. While Orion tried to hold onto his father and the relationship they had, Sirius seemed ready to let go. The overprotective nature was still there but Sirius wasn't as vocal about it as he used to be. For the first time in years, they had spent a few weeks away from Britain on a family vacation traveling to various magical settlements. It had been fun to visit France, Bulgaria, Romania and Egypt but Orion had quickly realized that there had been a secondary reason for those destinations.

It had been an ideal way to teach Orion spells without anyone from the Ministry of Magic interrupting for Sirius' assistance. At least it was until Kingsley Shacklebolt tracked them down in Egypt insisting that they needed to return to London immediately. At first, Orion wanted to protest but all thoughts ended with one glace at Sirius and Remus' faces. Whatever the emergency was, it was bad—really, really bad.

It wasn't until they arrived back at Black Manor that Orion was finally told what was happening. For the first time since the Dementors had taken over guarding the wizarding prison, Azkaban, there had been a breach of this magnitude. For the first time, there had been a breakout from the inside. Details were still sketchy but what was known was that spells and enchantments placed on two distinct prison cells had failed, one shortly after the other. The Ministry of Magic concluded that it had been an inside job but were clueless to how the first prisoner had managed to break free since his was one of the more secure cells in Azkaban.

The wizarding world was on high alert in more ways than one. Not only were two criminals on the loose but Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic, decided that the Dementors of Azkaban should play an active role in recapturing the fugitives. Orion couldn't understand Fudge's reasoning behind the decision. Anyone with an ounce of knowledge about Dementors knew releasing them amongst the population was a bad thing. Dementors sense and feed on positive emotions like locusts. They are never satisfied and would never stop. Anyone around them would quickly find themselves trapped in their own worst memories.

That was why Black Manor now housed the largest stash it items containing the easiest counter-agent for Dementors—chocolate. Black Manor had become a well used break station for those on Sirius' team to recover as quickly as possible before going back out and resuming the search. It was common for people to show up at odd hours. Orion had helped Remus play host to Kingsley, Frank Longbottom, Evelyn Smith (Sirius' ex-girlfriend), Alastor Moody and even James Potter.

Evelyn and Mr. Potter had been certainly the most awkward. Sirius had ended his relationship with Evelyn shortly after the journey into the Chamber of Secrets. Orion didn't know all the details but he had a feeling it was linked to the fact that Evelyn had questioned Sirius in the middle of the mission. For Sirius, that was the biggest mistake one could make. Evelyn had tried to apologize but Sirius insisted that it was for the best leaving Orion and Remus in the difficult position of not knowing how to act around her.

Mr. Potter's presence was even worse. He didn't stop by often since he had his own family to check on but the few times he did were difficult for Orion and Remus. Mr. Potter tried to be friendly, he really did, and Remus tried to return the gesture. Orion, however, had a tendency to remember tasks Remus had assigned him for the fifth year texts he was reading. Truthfully, Orion felt bad for leaving Remus to deal with Mr. Potter but Orion just couldn't bring himself to be around the man. Years of distrust and anger couldn't be washed away like it was nothing.

The sound of Orion's bedroom door creaking open forced Orion to cautiously peak out from underneath his covers. The silhouette of a tall, thin man wearing wizarding robes blocked the majority of the light from the hallway. His stance was firm but the way his shoulders hunched forward slightly hinted of the pain he was undoubtedly feeling.

"Ori, I know you're not sleeping," the man said gently as he entered the room. "You've never been able to sleep when there's a storm."

Orion let out a sigh and pushed off his bedcovers. "I wish I knew why," he muttered while sitting up. "It's so annoying."

Light finally rested on the tired face of Remus Lupin, revealing a compassionate smile as he sat down on the edge of Orion's bed. "Orion, there was a storm the night you were adopted—well, the night you took the potion. When you woke up completely disoriented—well, the storm only made you more frightened. We tried everything to calm you down but nothing seemed to work so we had to force down a calming draught. You were so exhausted that you fell asleep on us."

Orion stared at Remus in confusion. "I don't remember—"

"—I'm not surprised," Remus said with a smile. "It was a traumatic experience for you. It's understandable you would block it out. It wasn't until you woke the following morning that we realized why your reaction was so severe."

"You realized I couldn't remember anything," Orion said softly. He had been told that part before. That was something his father and uncle had never hidden from him. The memory loss never should have happened. It had been an anomaly that the specialists at St. Mungo's and even Professor Snape couldn't explain. The potion had been made perfectly. Orion should have woken up as Sirius' son biologically and magically but remember the past five years but for some reason, something went wrong.

Remus reached out and ran his fingers through Orion's hair before pulling his wand out from his robes. "Listen cub, I know this is hard for you," he said compassionately. "We had promised a fun summer and once again you're on your own most of the time."

Orion shrugged his shoulders. "It's not your fault," he insisted. "I know Dad's needed at work. He has the most knowledge and with his record for catching Death Eaters…well, Scrimgeour would be mad if he didn't ask for Dad's help. I also know how much work you need to do preparing lesson plans and having them approved by Grandad. You're busy now but at least you'll be at Hogwarts with me, right?"

Remus grinned. "I must say you're the only teenager I know who would be excited about their uncle teaching at their school," he said in an amused voice. "You do realize I'll expect a lot more from you than the rest of you classmates, right?"

Orion rolled his eyes. "Moony, please, you've been teaching me Defense Against the Dark Arts as well as most of the other subjects at Hogwarts for years," he said. "If anything, you'll be able to keep me on track so I can finish the fifth year material faster than if I were to do it on my own."

Remus stared at Orion with a raised eyebrow. "Ori, don't be in too much of a rush to tackle the coursework," he warned. "What are you going to do when you've finished N.E.W.T. level material? You'll be bored out of your mind. Take your time now. Really learn the material. Also, don't forget you have two more courses this year—courses that you have just started reading about."

Orion could understand what Remus was saying and the more he thought about it, the more he realized that Remus had a very good point. He had heard the rumors about the dreaded O.W.L. year at Hogwarts. The overabundance of homework and the stress of the O.W.L. exams could push even the most studious of students over the edge.

The sudden absence of noise from the roaring storm quickly pulled Orion out of his thoughts so see Remus rising to his feet and pocketing his wand. "There," he said with a wink. "That should be better. Try and get some sleep. You know Neville, Hayden and Rose will be here bright and early."

Orion let out a groan as he collapsed on his bed. It was becoming a habit for Hayden and Rose Potter to come through the floo network earlier and earlier. Neville Longbottom normally arrived just before eight when his mum was leaving for work. Neville was in a similar situation as Orion. Both his parents worked in the Auror department, just in different areas. Alice Longbottom worked in the records office while Frank Longbottom handled the communication between those out in the field and the head of the Auror office, Rufus Scrimgeour.

A loud siren-like sound caused both Orion and Remus to jump and rush out of the room, Orion grabbing his wand off the bedside table on the way. That alarm meant only one thing: the floo network had been breached. Sirius had intensified the wards on the Manor, especially on the floo network right after returning home. If someone were to attempt to come through before the wards had been lowered, the alarm would ring through the entire place.

Rather annoying really since Sirius had a tendency to forget to tell people about it.

Orion followed Remus down the stairs and into the living room only to come to an abrupt halt at the scene in front of them. A soot covered Lily Potter was standing in front of the fireplace helping both her soot covered children dressed in their sleep clothes to their feet. All three of them looked extremely shaken. Hayden and Rose looked like they had physically been pulled out of bed and pushed into the fireplace.

With a few intricate waves of the wand, Remus had silenced the alarm. "Lily?" he asked cautiously. "What are you doing here?"

Mrs. Potter let out a shaky breath as a flash of lightning lit up the room. "The wards were breached—they just kept falling—I didn't know what to do," she said, her voice pleading. "The kids wanted to come here…"

Remus was already moving towards the fireplace, his wand at the ready. Without a word, he pressed the tip of his wand against one of the bricks causing the entire fireplace to glow for a moment before returning to normal. "There, the fireplace is sealed," he said as he turned and looked at Orion. "Ori, please take Hayden and Rose up to your room. I think the three of you could use some rest."

Going to sleep was the last thing Orion wanted to do at the moment but he had a feeling that it was more for Hayden and Rose's benefit than his own. A loud boom of thunder quickly provided the extra incentive. Nodding in agreement, Orion pulled Hayden and Rose out of the room, ignoring the soft protests that both the Potter children. The fact that Orion was able to pull Hayden and Rose out of the room proved just how tired they were.

As soon as they entered Orion's room and Orion closed the door, however, all tiredness seemed to vanish from Hayden and Rose's bodies.

"I can't believe this," Hayden moaned as he flopped on Orion's bed. "Last year Dobby broke through the wards and now some insane Death Eater."

"Stop it, Hayden," Rose snapped nervously. "Please, I don't want to think of _him_ being there."

Orion stepped forward and wrapped an arm around Rose's shoulders. "Let's not think about it," he said while sending a pointed look at Hayden. "If I know Remus, he's already contacted Dad. Dad'll fix this. He always does."

Hayden sat up and stared at Orion. "Is there anything you're dad can't do?" he asked curiously.

Orion grinned. "You'd be surprised," he admitted. "Dad's not perfect but he's the best Auror I know. He'll do his job, whatever it takes."

A knock on the door put a quick end to the conversation. Orion, Hayden and Rose shared a cautious glance before Orion walked over to the door and slowly opened it to see a man that looked significantly similar to Hayden and Rose. Withholding a sigh, Orion opened the door and moved out of the way so Hayden and Rose could get a clear view.

"Dad!" Rose shouted as she rushed forward and jumped into Mr. Potter's arms. "Dad, we were so scared!"

Mr. Potter dropped to his knees and wrapped his arms around his daughter. "I know you were, Rosie," he said softly. "I'm sorry I wasn't there to protect you but I promise we'll do everything we can to fix this so it never happens again." Mr. Potter pulled back slightly so he could meet Rose's eyes. "Now, I know you're scared but I need you to be brave for your mum. She's going to stay here with you for now. There will also be a member of the team here at all times, just in case, all right?"

Rose nodded reluctantly as Hayden slid off the bed and moved forward. "Dad, they broke through most of the wards like there weren't any at all," Hayden said. "How is that possible?"

Mr. Potter let out a sigh as he rose to his feet and focused on Hayden. "I don't know, son," he said honestly. "It shouldn't be possible. That's why your mother and I think its best that you stay here for now. No one can find this place without help from the secret keeper and I don't think that'll happen any time soon."

Rose tilted her head in confusion. "Why?"

"Toby's the secret keeper, Rose," Orion answered. "He also refuses to leave whenever I'm home."

Hayden stared at Orion with a raised eyebrow. "You guys have a house elf as your secret keeper?" he asked in surprise.

Orion shrugged his shoulders. "Can you think of anyone better?" he countered. "Mindy and Toby are happy here. They'd never do anything that would put Dad or me in danger. Would your house elves?"

Hayden looked slightly abashed as his gaze fell. "Sorry, I didn't mean anything by it," he admitted. "I'm just surprised."

"I think that's the entire point of it all, Hayden," Mr. Potter offered. "Since everyone in our society looks down on house elves, who would suspect one of them as the secret keeper? Now, I suggest you two clean up then get some sleep."

"But Dad—"

"—no buts, Hayden," Mr. Potter insisted sternly. "We'll have more answers in the morning."

Mr. Potter stepped forward, pulled Rose into an embrace then repeated the action with Hayden. As he walked towards the door, he passed Orion, paused then grasped Orion's shoulder briefly before leaving. Orion stood there stiffly, unable to move. Why had Mr. Potter done that? More importantly, why would Mr. Potter think something like that would be a welcomed action? Orion had never shown anything other than dislike for the man.

If Hayden and Rose noticed Orion's discomfort, they didn't mention it. They took turns cleaning up in the bathroom before they crawled into Orion's bed with Orion in the middle. Staring at the ceiling, Orion couldn't stop thinking about Mr. Potter. It had been the first time he had seen Mr. Potter act like an actual, caring father. It was strange. Hayden had always described Mr. Potter as someone who was distant and distracted most of the time.

When had Mr. Potter changed? _Why does it matter? Mr. Potter still hurt Dad._

Letting out a frustrated sigh, Orion rolled over and buried his face in his pillow. He hated this. He hated that he couldn't let go of this grudge yet he was forced to associate with the man. He knew that Sirius wasn't happy about the arrangement but had been overruled by Scrimgeour. With Mr. Potter's knowledge of the escapees, his involvement was encouraged by those high up in the Ministry. It was, after all, good publicity for the father of the-boy-who-lived to re-join the Aurors to help catch such dangerous criminals.

That was probably what bothered Orion the most. Assigning Mr. Potter to Sirius' team had been a political move. The 'Black Team' was well known for its dangerous missions, something a rookie should be no part of which was what Mr. Potter was. Having a rookie on such an advanced team put the entire team at risk but people accepted it just because Hayden was the-boy-who-lived.

"Ori?" Hayden asked groggily as he rolled over and partially opened his eyes. "Wha's wrong? Is it Dad?"

Orion turned his head and stared at Hayden. What was he supposed to say? _Sorry Hayden. I know you're one of my closest friends but I just can't stand your dad._ "You didn't mention him in your letters," Orion said at last.

Hayden shrugged his shoulders slightly, his eyes slowly closing. "There wasn't much to say," he admitted. "After the breakout, Dad hasn't really been home much. Before this whole thing happened, he did spend more time with us, teaching us some basics about dueling. Mum's actually been the one helping me with my homework. She's really good at explaining things without me feeling like I'm thick. Mum and Dad are trying, Ori. I think they—well Dad more than Mum—got tired of me getting into trouble and not being able to defend myself."

Orion stared at Hayden with a raised eyebrow. "You could solve that by not getting in trouble," he offered dryly.

A lazy grin appeared on Hayden's face. "Mum said the same thing. Then she said that I could start listening to you." Hayden's eyes opened. "Mum and Dad really like you, Ori. They've been asking when you'd be coming over. They must think you're a good influence on me or something like that."

Orion held back a flinch. Visiting Potter Manor was never going to happen anytime soon. If he couldn't stand being in the same room as the Potter parents how was he supposed to handle being at their residence with no way out? "Hayden—you know—"

"—that you don't like them because they hurt your dad?" Hayden interrupted. "Yeah, I know. Ori, but that was years ago. Mum and Dad are trying to make it up to him. Can't you just try and give them a chance?"

How could a simple question be so hard to answer? A part of Orion knew that he couldn't hold onto grudges forever but another part—the childish part—insisted that they started it. They had turned their backs on Sirius when he needed them the most so why should he make it easy for them? _Because Hayden and Rose are my friends, that's why. _

A soft snore pulled Orion out of his thoughts to see that Hayden had fallen back asleep. Now if only Orion could do the same.

* * *


	2. Common Ground

Chapter 2

Common Ground

For all of the changes that seemed to have come overnight, one would think the overpowering silence wouldn't exist, even at half past six in the morning. Orion couldn't explain why he was awake so early. He just knew that all efforts to fall back asleep had failed forcing him to crawl out from where he had been sandwiched between the Potter children. It was strange. Normally Orion preferred his space while sleeping but something just seemed right about Hayden and Rose. It was almost like there was some sort of link between them.

Orion couldn't help letting out a snort as he walked down the stairs. He really needed a good night's sleep. Neville was his best friend and Cedric Diggory was like a brother. If there was anyone he should feel a link with, it should be the two of them.

Walking through the living room, Orion noticed the goblets and glasses on the tables. That was strange, not only because of the amount but also for the fact that they were actually there. Normally, Mindy and Toby insisted on cleaning everything immediately. It was one of their quirks Sirius hadn't been able to break.

Approaching the kitchen, Orion came to a sudden halt at the sound of muffled voices from behind the closed door. It was uncommon but not unheard of, especially lately with Sirius' team pulling strange hours. Thinking about it, Orion could piece an explanation in his mind. The team had come last night after searching Potter Manor to discuss the case while Mindy and Toby served them something to drink.

Curious now, Orion nudged the door to the kitchen open just a hair but it was enough for the voices to clear.

"I know nothing can change what's happened," the voice of a frustrated Lily Potter hit Orion's ears. "I just want to be a part of his life. I hate that he can't stand to be in the same room as me."

"Lily," the soft voice of Professor Dumbledore said patiently, "he does not know you. The only thing he knows is that you and James hurt his father. It is irrational to expect a child to ignore something he has known for as long as he can remember. Have you talked to Sirius?"

"He has enough on his mind without me adding to it," Lily answered with a sigh. "Please believe me, Albus. I don't want to make things worse—"

"—then I believe it would be best if you let things move at their own pace," Professor Dumbledore interrupted gently. "Forcing something that obviously takes time and trust to build will only end in disaster."

To say that Orion was confused was an understatement. Why did Mrs. Potter want him in her life so badly? She hadn't mentioned any of Hayden's other friends so what was so different about him? Something wasn't right here and Professor Dumbledore—a man Orion viewed as a grandfather—knew about it. _Why am I surprised? Everyone seems to have secrets they don't want me to know about_.

Stepping back, Orion figured he had three options. He could gather what Gryffindor bravery he had and enter the kitchen, wait by the door until he got caught or go back to bed until Hayden and Rose woke up. If it were anyone other than the Potters involved, Orion would have no problem entering. He couldn't help it. He just wasn't ready to deal with them yet, especially after what he had just heard.

The sound of the door opening caused Orion to quickly turn around and see his father entering the living room as he pulled off his cloak. Sirius Black came to an abrupt halt as his eyes landed on Orion. To say that Sirius looked exhausted was an understatement. The man looked like he hadn't slept in days, which was probably true. Sirius had always taken better care of his team than himself.

"Ori, what are you doing up so early?" Sirius asked as he set his cloak over the back of an armchair. "I figured you three would have to be pulled out of bed this morning."

Orion shrugged his shoulders. "Neville will be here soon, Dad," he said cautiously. "We have lessons today with Remus."

Sirius let out a sigh before approaching Orion and wrapping an arm around Orion's shoulders. "I'm sure Moony wouldn't mind putting your lessons on hold for a while, kiddo," he offered. "I know things will be a little crazier here now that the Potters have basically moved in—"

"—do you know who tried to break in?" Orion interrupted eagerly.

Sirius stared at Orion with a raised eyebrow. "That is classified information and you know it, Orion," he said sternly. "At least until I talk to Lily, Hayden and Rose. It was their home so it's only fair that they hear the news first."

Orion couldn't help glancing at the door to the kitchen. Going back to bed was looking to be the best option. "Well, Mrs. Potter's in the kitchen with Grandad and—well—"

"Ah," Sirius said knowingly. "That explains why you're out here and not in the kitchen begging Mindy for food." With a slight shake of the head, Sirius ushered Orion towards the door. "Look kiddo, I know this is a lot to throw at you but we're all on the same team here. I'm not saying you have to forget everything and become best of friends with James and Lily—Merlin knows it would be hypocritical of me to ask that. Just try to get along with them while they're here."

Orion let out a sigh and grudgingly nodded. He didn't like it but there wasn't much he could do about it. It was comforting to hear he wasn't the only one having a problem with the arrangement though. _Perhaps that's why Grandad's here this morning. He knows it's going to be hard for the both of us._

Preparing for the worst, Orion let his father usher him into the kitchen, immediately silencing the conversation between Mrs. Potter and Professor Dumbledore. Orion couldn't help feeling extremely uncomfortable as he sat down between Sirius and Professor Dumbledore. The tension was so thick it was nearly suffocating. As difficult as it was, Orion tried to ignore it and focus on the mouthwatering breakfast before them.

"Good morning, Sirius, Orion," Professor Dumbledore said pleasantly before taking a sip of his tea. "I hope you do not mind the unannounced visit."

Sirius let out a quiet snort as he started filling his plate. "We both know that you would have come regardless of whether I minded or not," he said dryly.

Professor Dumbledore hesitated for a moment before turning slightly so that his gaze was focused entirely on Sirius. "Sirius, I know you are under pressure from all sides, however—"

"—don't start, Dumbledore," Sirius interrupted in an annoyed tone. "We both know that I can't just sit here and let someone else do my job, especially when we now know exactly what they're after."

Orion's eyes widened as he quickly turned to face Sirius. "Do you mean it, Dad?" he asked softly. "Are they really after Hayden and Rose?"

Sirius let out a sigh while running a hand through Orion's hair before settling it on Orion's shoulder. "You're too smart for your own good, you know that, right?" he said with a grin causing Orion to smile. "Look, kiddo, we don't know the details so it's best not to jump to conclusions—"

"—and say things that will scare Hayden and Rose?" Orion said cautiously. "Dad, I'd never do that. Hayden may be able to handle it but I know how frantic Rose has been since the breakout."

Mrs. Potter immediately leaned forward. "Has she said anything to you?" she asked hopefully. "I know Rosie's been having problems sleeping but she won't talk to me."

Orion rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably as emerald green met emerald green. "Well—I probably shouldn't say anything but I do know that Rose is terrified that something'll happen to Hayden," he admitted. "I mean, I know the past few years at Hogwarts haven't exactly been worry-free but this is the first time that it's like Hayden's been hunted. Add in her other worries—well, I guess I can just understand why she's acting the way that she is."

Mrs. Potter stared at Orion, her eyes pleading. "Please, Orion, what other worries?" she begged. "I—I need to know."

Orion shrugged his shoulders. "You know, the normal first year stuff," he answered. "She's worried what house she'll get into. I know she really wants to get into Gryffindor because we're there. She's worried about being alone and not making friends—but we won't let that happen. We've promised each other not to let Rose become another Ginny Weasley."

A hand grasped Orion's shoulder as Orion's gaze fell and he shifted uncomfortably in his chair. He hadn't intended on revealing so much. Truthfully, Orion had never gone through the 'first year worries'. He already had a best friend in Neville and he had plenty of people who looked out for him due to his visits to Hogwarts over the years. However, not everyone was as fortunate. Ginny Weasley had been too afraid to ask her brothers for help and it almost killed her. Over the summer, Hayden, Orion and Neville had vowed not to let that happen to Rose. She was already going to have a difficult time in being the sister of the-boy-who-lived.

"T—thank you, Orion," Mrs. Potter said, her voice wavering slightly. "I can't begin to express how grateful I am that you're looking out for Rose."

Before Orion had the chance to say anything, Mrs. Potter rushed out of the kitchen. Orion stared in amazement before looking at Sirius and then Professor Dumbledore in confusion. "Was it something I said?" he asked nervously.

"Not at all, my boy," Professor Dumbledore said in a surprisingly serious tone. "I believe Lily is simply overwhelmed at the moment. Completely understandable considering everything that has happened."

Sirius let out a snort. "Right," he said dryly. "Ori, perhaps you should wake up Hayden and Rose so you're ready by the time Neville comes. I have a feeling that all four of you will want to participate in training today."

Orion knew a dismissal when he heard one and hurried out of the kitchen after grabbing a few pieces of toast. Some of the time Orion truly believed that he and his father understood each other but most of the time Orion was like other kids his age in believing that adults were so confusing. If Mrs. Potter wanted to know how Rose was, why didn't she just ask Rose like a normal person?

Waking Hayden and Rose hadn't been difficult especially when Orion mentioned training with Remus. In fact, they were ready in what could be considered record time and pulling Orion down the stairs where Remus. Sirius, Professor Dumbledore and Mrs. Potter were already waiting for them.

"Good morning, children," Remus said patiently. "Now, Neville should be here any moment so—Hayden, Rose—if you want breakfast, I suggest you grab something quickly. You'll probably need it."

Hayden and Rose didn't need to be told twice. Orion had to bite back a laugh watching them rush into the kitchen as if they were being chased by Fluffy or even a Basilisk. The more time Orion spent with the Potter children the more he saw how alike they were. They both had the same temperament as well as the same Gryffindor nature to act first and think later. Orion could only imagine the trouble they could get into at Hogwarts if Hayden and Rose were in the same house.

The sound of the flames roaring to life in the fireplace quickly pulled Orion out of his thoughts. Rushing over, Orion couldn't help grinning at Neville's head in the flames. "Hello Neville! Come on through. You know the password."

Neville's face vanished only to be replaced by growing flames until Neville came stumbling out of the fireplace into Orion's arms. There were a few guarantees in the wizarding world and Neville's clumsiness with floo travel was one of them. Neither Orion nor Neville could hold back a grin as Neville regained his balance.

"Nice distance but the landing needs a little work," Orion said with a laugh.

Neville snorted as he brushed soot off his clothes. "It normally does," he shot back. "So, what are we doing today?"

"Dueling," Remus answered as Hayden and Rose came back into the room, each carrying a stack of toast. "All of your parents agree that it would be best for you four to know how to defend yourselves. So we will begin with some basics before pairing up for some one-on-one instruction." He paused to glance at each student. "So, is everyone ready for a long day?"

Eager nods were the answer. Personally, Orion thought it was a smart idea. From what he had seen, everyone present had their own style of dueling. Sirius relied mostly on flashy spells that could distract the opponent. Remus, on the other hand, was a practical dueler—using spells that got the job done as quickly as possible. Professor Dumbledore relied mostly on Transfiguration since that was his area of expertise. Mrs. Potter, however, was a bit of a wild card. Orion didn't know much about her except that she excelled in Charms. That made Orion slightly nervous. Charms was normally his area of expertise.

As it turned out, the pairings weren't what Orion expected at all. Remus had taken Rose to show her more of the basics, Sirius had taken Hayden to 'broaden his horizons' and Mrs. Potter had taken Neville to help him with the particulars of wand work which left Orion to face off with Professor Dumbledore. Orion could understand the reasoning behind the placement. The students were meant to be challenged which Orion knew he would be. Transfiguration was one of the subjects that Orion had always needed to work at.

Each pair had their own corner of the room with silencing spells surrounding them to avoid distractions. After a short 'lesson', Orion was thrown into a full duel against Professor Dumbledore. The duel didn't last long even with Professor Dumbledore holding back. For what felt like hours, Orion faced Professor Dumbledore in duel until he was no longer able to stand due to exhaustion. The message was clear: no matter how much you know there's still so much more to learn.

* * *

Life at Black Manor settled into an odd sort of schedule for the next few weeks. Training continued although it varied on content depending on who was available. The most awkward lesson was when Mr. Potter had offered to help. As odd as it may sound, Orion couldn't help but feel that Mr. Potter was watching him. Sure, Mrs. Potter was basically doing the same thing but at least she was discrete about it. It was starting to get unnerving. Why were Mr. and Mrs. Potter so obsessed with him?

The search for the Azkaban escapees had suddenly turned cold. It was like they had vanished into thin air although no one actually believed it. Many believed that the escapees were simply waiting for Hayden to come out of hiding which forced the Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic, to make a very unpopular decision.

The Dementors would be stationed around Hogwarts as guards to protect the-boy-who-lived. This action quickly changed the training. For nearly a week, the focus was cheering charms and heating spells. It wasn't a cure but it would have to be enough since all of the adults agreed that the children weren't ready to learn the complex Patronus Charm that that could drive Dementors away. It was a spell that most adults struggled with so what chance did three thirteen-year-olds and nearly eleven-year-old stand?

Of course that didn't stop Orion from trying.

Communication with the outside world was heavily monitored. Hayden and Orion were allowed to send letters to their friends but only after an adult placed the necessary charms on the letters along with Hedwig and Archy, Hayden's owl. Hermione and Ron had both been frantic after hearing about the Potter Manor break-in and but were grateful to hear that the 'infamous Sirius Black had taken the family in to protect them'.

Orion had wanted to bash his head into the wall after hearing Hayden read that from Hermione's letter. Hayden and Rose, on the other hand, thought it was quite funny. Hayden and even started joking that Sirius was becoming serious competition in the 'celebrity circuit'. Of course, it was all said while Sirius was absent from Black Manor since Hayden knew some serious pranking would be pulled if Sirius ever overheard anyone calling him a celebrity.

The mood at Black Manor changed drastically the morning of August 31st. The worries of the wizarding world seemed to be a world away as everyone focused on celebrating Rose's birthday. There would be no training for the day which allowed Orion, Hayden, Neville and Rose to entertain themselves in the library while Remus, Mrs. Potter and Evelyn (who was on 'watch' for the day) helped Mindy and Toby prepare for the party.

"So, Rose, what house do you think you'll get into?" Neville asked curiously as he handed Orion the polish from the boom servicing kit.

Rose shrugged her shoulders as she watched Orion polish his Cleansweep Six and Hayden polish his Nimbus 2000, earning raised eyebrows from Orion and Hayden.

"You do know that it doesn't matter what house you're sorted into," Orion offered. "We'll still be there when you need us."

Rose let out a sigh. "But not like you would be if I were in Gryffindor," she said reluctantly. "Look, I know it'll be hard because my brother is the-boy-who-lived but I'd rather be with my family, especially now. Orion, you're like a brother to me—"

"—and what am I? Chopped liver?" Neville asked in indignation.

Rose flushed, ignoring Orion and Hayden's snorts. "Well, it's just that I've known Orion longer," she said nervously. "You're my friend, Neville, a very good friend. It just feels different with Orion. With Orion, it's almost like the way things are with Hayden."

Orion patted Rose on the head. "Don't worry, short stuff," he said playfully. "The feeling's mutual."

Rose glared at Orion. "I'm not _that_ short!" she shot back. "Besides, I'm two years younger than you! I should be shorter."

"Right," Hayden said dryly. "Keep telling yourself that, _Rosie_." Before Hayden could say any more, Rose tackled him causing Orion and Neville to grab the broomsticks and quickly back out of the way. The fight didn't last long. Hayden quickly had Rose pinned on her stomach with his arms around her head, holding her still. "Now, _Rosie_, what would your mother say if she saw you acting like a ruffian?"

"She'd probably ask what you did to her," the voice of Mrs. Potter said from the doorway. "Hayden, what have I told you about teasing your sister?"

Hayden scowled as he released Rose and backed away. "We were just having fun, Mum," he said sounding a little unsure of himself. "Honest."

Mrs. Potter shifted her gaze to Rose who promptly insisted, "Hayden's right Mum. Just some fun. Is dinner almost ready?"

Mrs. Potter nodded. "We're just waiting for everyone to arrive," she answered. "The debriefing concerning tomorrow must have run long."

"Debriefing?" Neville asked in surprise. "I thought Remus would be on the train with us."

"It's not that simple, Neville," Mrs. Potter said as she pulled up a chair and sat down. "Even though Remus is very talented in the area of Defense, he's not officially affiliated with the Ministry. The Minister wants people to believe that he's doing everything in his power to catch…_them_ as well as protect the person so many view as important."

"Does this have anything to do with Remus being sick a few days ago?" asked Rose.

Orion bit his lip and avoided meeting Mrs. Potter's gaze. It had been Remus' decision to hide his condition from Hayden and Rose at least until they arrived at Hogwarts. Remus had said that he didn't want to give them another thing to worry about. Orion figured that Remus was more worried about Hayden and Rose's rejection. It wasn't easy to reveal that you were actually a werewolf.

"No, Rose," Mrs. Potter said firmly. "I assure you Remus will be fine. He does get ill every so often but it's nothing life threatening."

Orion and Neville shared an uncomfortable look. Mrs. Potter wasn't lying but she was masking enough of the truth for Hayden and Rose to believe they had been lied to by everyone. _Including me._ Suddenly Orion had a bad feeling about the upcoming year. Secrets don't remain secrets at Hogwarts. Sure, those who mattered already knew but those who didn't tended to allow fear to override common sense.

"Mrs. Potter, do you really think the train will be attacked?" Neville asked nervously.

Mrs. Potter stared at Neville sympathetically. "No one in their right mind would attack something like the Hogwarts Express, Neville," she said. "Unfortunately, Bellatrix Lestrange and Peter Pettigrew are not in their right mind. The Minister himself reported how Pettigrew just kept talking to himself during the last inspection. That's the problem. We really can't predict where they will strike next because it makes no rational sense to us."

"So who's going to be on the train with us?" Rose asked softly.

Mrs. Potter smiled sympathetically. "Well, Remus will be in the compartment with you," she said gently. "I know that's probably the last thing you want to hear but Remus promises to be discrete. The team, however, will be split up at Platform 9 ¾, the Hogsmeade Station and the train. We'll find out the assignments when they get here."

Hayden groaned. "I hope it's not Dad," he said then winced at the look Mrs. Potter gave him. "Mum, you know how Dad is. What if he—you know…"

A knowing smile slowly formed on Mrs. Potter's face. "Hayden Potter, are you afraid your father will embarrass you in front of your friends?" she asked causing Hayden to cringe before standing up. "Well, I don't blame you. Sometimes—actually, most of the time your father embarrasses me too. I guess it's just a price we have to pay. Now, I believe that's enough seriousness for the day. This is supposed to be a happy day for Rose. I suggest we all go downstairs and enjoy ourselves."

It seemed that everyone was eager to end the conversation. Neville hurried out of the room first followed closely by Hayden and Rose. Orion didn't realize that he had actually been left alone with Mrs. Potter until he turned around after putting his broom servicing kit away. To say that there was an awkward tension in the room was certainly an understatement.

Mrs. Potter took a tentative step forward. "Orion, I just wanted to say thank you for everything you've done for Hayden and Rose," she said quickly causing Orion to stare at her with a raised eyebrow. "I know it must have been difficult to have your home suddenly invaded and overrun—"

"—Mrs. Potter, Hayden and Rose are my friends," Orion interrupted as he slowly moved towards the door. "They'd do the same for me."

Mrs. Potter bit her bottom lip, her nervousness rising. "I understand that, Orion," she said pleadingly. "I just know that—well—I know that you're not too fond of James or me."

Orion visibly winced. He did _not _want to have this conversation now, not when they were about to begin Rose's birthday dinner. "Mrs. Potter—"

"—it's all right, Orion," Mrs. Potter insisted as she stepped toward him. "I haven't really made a good impression now, have I? James and I are trying to mend what we've broken. I know it will take time but I hope that—perhaps—you may be able to give us another chance too?"

Orion slowly turned his head to meet Mrs. Potter's begging gaze. "That is up to my father," he said matter-of-factly. "It may be hard to understand but Dad, Remus and me—well, we're a pack and we follow the alpha of our pack."

Mrs. Potter slowly closed her eyes and nodded in understanding. It was the best way to describe how things were handled in the Black household. If you can get the most stubborn occupant of Black Manor to forgive you, the rest of the family will follow suit.


	3. The Dementor

Chapter 3

The Dementor

Those residing at Black Manor woke to a haze of frantic craziness on September first. The entire Black team was present and gathered around the kitchen table reviewing their assignments. Orion was able to eat a quick breakfast while overhearing the basics before anyone noticed he was even there. From the sounds of things, Evelyn and John Dawlish had been assigned to Platform 9 ¾, Mr. Potter and Kingsley had been assigned to the Hogsmeade Station which left Sirius to be stationed on the train with Remus and Mr. Longbottom as his backup.

Well, at least Hayden would be relieved. From what Orion had learned, Mr. Potter had been a talented Auror during the first war and would have most likely been in Sirius' position if he had remained. The man had made his choice though and it was obvious that choice still clouded Mr. Potter's judgment but could you really blame him? He had already lost one son and his remaining son would be a target as long as Voldemort and those loyal to him were still a threat.

To say that there was tension in the air was certainly an understatement although the reason behind it was completely justified. Hayden and Rose were extremely quiet, both looking torn between whether they should be excited or terrified. Orion was probably more excited than the two of them combined. He would finally be able to see Hermione and Cedric as well as his year mates in Hufflepuff.

Hayden was also looking forward to seeing Ron although Orion had a feeling that reunion wouldn't be as joyful as Hayden wanted it to be. There had been some comments in Ron's letters that Hayden had conveniently ignored, insisting that all would work out once explanations had been heard. Orion wasn't so gullible. He knew that Ron had a problem with jealousy. Even though it had been better last year, Ron still feared losing the one good friend he had and probably would for some time. It was something Ron needed to get over on his own.

It had been decided that they would travel to Platform 9 ¾ in shifts. Evelyn and Dawlish would arrive around half past nine and secure the parameter, followed by Remus and the Longbottoms who would arrive at ten o'clock to secure a group of compartments that would all be enchanted to protect Hayden and also throw off any intruder from figuring out which compartment Hayden was actually in. Sirius, Orion and Cedric would arrive at quarter past ten to finish up the preparations so that the Potters could arrive at half past.

It was a tight schedule but Sirius was confident it would work as long as everyone did their job.

Trunks were packed at waiting by the door before Evelyn and Dawlish left. By the time Remus left to meet up with the Longbottoms, Orion, Hayden and Rose were bored. When Cedric arrived, Orion welcomed for the change, especially when Cedric announced that he was named male Prefect for the Hufflepuff house. Every year, each head of house awarded one male and one female a Prefect badge which was considered an honor for most. Being Prefect meant that Cedric would have additional responsibilities to help enforce school rules and also had the power to take away house points from any student he witnessed breaking those rules.

Being Prefect was something that Orion had looked forward to ever since he had 'helped' Bill Weasley during Prefect duty years ago.

Orion was practically jumping for joy when it was time to leave for King's Cross Station. Due to time constraints, they were forced to travel through the floo network which wasn't ideal but it got the job done. For as early as it was, Platform 9 ¾ was extremely busy. There was a long line of students waiting to board the train with Dawlish at the front, examining each student for any dangerous items.

"Did you know they were doing this?" Cedric whispered to Orion.

Orion discretely shook his head before glancing around. It didn't make any sense to have one Auror patrol the entire platform alone. He knew that Dawlish was most likely looking for the rare chance that Pettigrew had stowed away in his Animagus form but there were so many other opportunities for Pettigrew to get onto the train.

"All right you two," Sirius said as he led them onto the train. "Find Remus and he will show you the designated compartments. Cedric, you're not required to stay in them—"

"—but I will, sir," Cedric said quickly. "My friends already know to look for me. They'll be in the compartment, just in case. I'll join them as soon as the meeting's over."

Sirius nodded in approval before grasping Orion's shoulder then turning around to begin his search of the train. Orion and Cedric hurried towards the front of the train. They didn't have to look long. Remus had secluded four compartments near the Prefect's meeting compartment. That could either work in their favor or their detriment. On one hand, there would be a backup system in case disaster struck during the meeting. On the other hand, there would be a lot of bodies passing back and forth which was an added security risk.

Orion took the compartment where Neville and Remus were already seated while Cedric took the compartment next to them. It wasn't long before Ron and Hermione joined them with a new addition. In Hermione's arms was a large cat with thick and fluffy ginger fur, an oddly squashed face and a bit bowlegged. Orion and Neville shared a look of concern.

"Hello!" Hermione greeted happily. "This is Crookshanks. Isn't he gorgeous?"

Gorgeous was one word Orion certainly wouldn't use but he knew better than to criticize someone's pet and early birthday present. Ron, on the hand, wasn't in such a cheerful mood. His older brother, Percy, who was in his final year at Hogwarts had been awarded the Head Boy badge for the year and seemed to be already trying to enforce his strict view on the rules. Orion and Neville could only share a knowing smile. If Percy crossed paths with Sirius there would certainly be trouble.

With the growing chatter and constant sounds of trunks being stowed away, Orion knew they were getting closer and closer to departure time. Suddenly, all conversation decreased to excited whispers causing Orion, Neville, Ron and Hermione to look out the window and see that the Potters had arrived. Rose was tightly gripping Mr. Potter's hand while Hayden was standing between his parents looked extremely nervous.

"Move along people!" Sirius barked as he got off the train and made his way towards the Potters. "This is not a museum!"

That seemed to snap people out of it. Chatter picked up again as students stepped on the train one by one. Orion could only watch Sirius quietly talk to Mr. Potter for a moment before stepping away so the Potters could say goodbye. Mrs. Potter looked to be on the verge of breaking down but she managed to keep it together while embracing both her children. Mr. Potter seemed to be wavering between whether to look like the strict man of the house or the loving father.

The loving father won out as Mr. Potter dropped to one knee and embraced Hayden and Rose. Rose returned the gesture but Hayden looked a little uncomfortable but Orion had a feeling that it wasn't because of his father. It was most likely due to the fact that people were still staring regardless of what Sirius had said.

The line of students was put to a halt as Hayden and Rose left their parents and followed Sirius to the train. Thankfully the Potters had followed Sirius' advice and shrunk the trunks ahead of time so they only had to worry about the children. Orion took the opportunity to hurry down the hall and was met by Rose halfway. Rose threw her arms around Orion which allowed Orion to notice that Rose was actually trembling. Orion looked up at Hayden in concern only to receive a shrug in response.

"She's been really quiet ever since you left," Hayden said quietly as Orion led them towards the front of the train. "I think she was worried of something happening to you."

Orion glanced down at Rose in concern. "Rose, I was with my dad. He'd never let anything happen to me."

Rose shrugged her shoulders uncomfortably but remained silent. Orion cast a curious look at Hayden but only received another shrug. _It must be a Potter thing._ Orion could only shake his head in exasperation. Why were the Potters so uncomfortable in talking about what was on their mind? Shouldn't Hayden know what was bothering his own sister?

As soon as they reached the compartment, Hermione took Rose by the hand and immediately began talking rapidly. Orion could only stare and hope that Hermione would remember to breathe. It didn't take long for Hermione to get Rose talking though. It seemed that what Rose needed the most was another girl to talk to, even if she didn't know Hermione that well.

Before they knew it, a loud piercing whistle sounded and the train started moving. Remus had taken the spot closest to the door allowing Orion, Neville, Hayden and Ron to jump into a game of Exploding Snap. There was a definite tension in the air and everyone was feeling it. Although Remus managed to block most of the prying eyes of Prefects that passed, whispers could be heard. Surprisingly, most of the comments were about Sirius Black being on the train. Sirius had evidently made quite a name for himself amongst the students while investigating the Chamber of Secrets last year.

"—and don't worry about the sorting," Hermione insisted. "I know that I was so nervous when I got sorted but I was put in the place I truly belong. That'll happen to you too."

"Hermione, please," Hayden pleaded. "Just leave her alone. Do you think that would have made you feel better when you were eleven?"

Hermione huffed as she enfolded her arms across her chest. "Yes, I do," she answered stubbornly. "At least it would have been better than believing we'd be facing a—what was that—troll?"

Ron flushed. "That's the last time I tell you anything," he muttered as he focused on his cards.

"Honestly Ron," Hermione said in exasperation. "I'm just trying to make a point. Some people—like your brothers—take too much joy in teasing unsuspecting younger years. I'm just trying to say that it will be all right—"

"—which is something that we've already told her," Orion interrupted patiently. "It's up to Rose to believe it. Now, let's move on."

Hermione let out an annoyed huff but relented. "All right, fine. So, any word about Hogsmeade visits? I know you said that your parents hadn't decided in your last letter, Hayden, but do they really think they'd be in Hogsmeade in the middle of the day—"

"—just like Platform 9 ¾, Hermione?" Hayden countered bitterly. "Mum and Dad said it was too dangerous and they took my cloak away to make sure I didn't try to sneak out. They don't want to take any chances this year."

"Couldn't someone check it out first?" Ron asked hopefully. "I mean, what if we go in a crowd? Pettigrew and Lestrange wouldn't dare—"

"—attacking a bunch of students?" Remus offered in a patient but firm voice. "I'm afraid that would only encourage Bellatrix Lestrange, Ron. Before she was apprehended, it was well known that Bellatrix enjoyed torturing whoever she could, regardless of their age. That is why we are taking this threat so seriously. Orion's father didn't sign his form either."

Hermione gasped. "B—but why?" she asked in confusion. "Isn't it Hayden—"

"—Bellatrix is Sirius' cousin," Remus interrupted. "He was a part of the team that brought her in. If she wanted revenge, she would have the utmost joy in going after what Sirius cherished the most which would be Orion."

Ron and Hermione shared an uncomfortable look. "But if it was really that dangerous, wouldn't they cancel Hogsmeade weekends for everyone?" asked Hermione.

Remus stared at Hermione for a moment before answering. "That is up to Professor Dumbledore. I have no doubt that he will mention something during the opening feast however it would probably be better to increase the teachers going to Hogsmeade rather than banning all students."

A knock at the door put a quick end to the conversation. Remus was immediately on his feet. No one moved as Remus slowly opened the compartment door only to immediately relax and move aside, allowing everyone to see Cedric poking his head in and looking around.

"Meeting's over…finally," Cedric said as his gaze shifted to Remus. "Sorry, it's just Percy thinking that we're all complete idiots. I think the status of Head Boy's gone to his head already." Ron let out a loud snort. "Anyways, I thought I'd check on things before I started on patrol. There'll be a few Prefects staying in the Prefect Compartment, just in case there's trouble. Word is being passed around that all students should remain in their compartments unless it is absolutely necessary."

"Thank you, Cedric," Remus said as he sat back down. "Please be careful. I can't imagine many are pleased with the thought of staying in a small compartment for the hours to come."

Cedric nodded, waved goodbye and closed the compartment door, leaving them all in silence for a long moment before Hermione spoke up. "I'm glad Cedric was made a Prefect. He's certainly gone beyond what any other student has when you were involved, Ori."

Orion felt his face heat up as he shifted his gaze to the window. He understood that there were some who just couldn't understand the childhood he had and what it had come from it. At five-years-old, it was difficult to understand the Black family. After all, how do you tell a child that he does have family—they just are homicidal maniacs who want those who oppose them dead? It would be enough to traumatize any child.

Orion's honorary family had grown quickly. It had started out with his Uncle Remus and Grandfather Albus but soon included a collection of 'older siblings', including several of the Weasley brothers and Cedric. Sirius had commented that it was a combination of the Black family good looks with the adorable green eyes that seemed to trap everyone at first glance. Orion didn't believe that. He was just an inquisitive kid who met the right people.

The Hogwarts Express moved steadily north and the scenery outside the window became wilder and darker while the clouds overhead thickened overhead. Hermione and Rose had moved to the floor, petting Crookshanks while Ron and Hayden quietly played a game of wizard chess next to them. Orion had found a comfortable spot beside Remus and allowed himself to doze in and out of consciousness. He would never verbally admit it, especially with Hayden and Rose in the room, but living with the Potters had been a challenge. He had been on his guard every waking moment, just waiting for something to go wrong.

Of course it never happened. The Potters had been perfect house guests although there had been times that Orion noticed the Potters holding back comments or questions about decisions Sirius had made, especially during dueling lessons. It was almost like the Potters didn't like Sirius pushing his own son so hard.

The journey was very quiet except for the sound of rain against the windows that only started as a sprinkle but steadily intensified. There had been no visit from Draco Malfoy which was probably a good thing. Draco was a bully, plain and simple. He liked to taunt Hayden and Ron because they always took whatever he said personally.

The rain continued to thicken as the train sped farther north. It was nearly impossible to see anything outside and even inside the train, forcing everyone to rely on the lanterns that hung along the corridors and over the luggage racks. It was enough to spook even the bravest of students and make the train ride feel like it was taking longer than what it actually was.

"We must be nearly there, right?" Ron asked quietly as he stole a glance at the window.

"I don't think so—," Remus said, hesitating as the train started to slow down. Everyone froze as Remus quickly stood and moved towards the compartment door. "Stay where you are. I'm going to find out what's going on."

Hayden moved to object but Remus was already gone.

"We can't be there yet," Hermione said, checking her watch as the train kept slowing down. With the noise of the pistons falling away, the wind and rain sounded louder than ever against the windows. "Do you think we've broken down?"

"No way," Neville answered immediately. "With—the threat out there, the Ministry would have made extra checks on the train to make sure everything was in top condition."

"Unless we hit something," Hermione offered.

"Impossible," Orion countered. "There are repelling charms on the tracks that activate whenever the train is in motion."

"So, then why're we stopping?" asked Ron.

The train came to a sudden stop causing luggage to fall out of the racks and students to fall out of their seats. Orion landed on Hayden and Neville only to have Rose land on him. Then, without warning, all the lamps went out and they were plunged into total darkness. Screams could be heard, including one from Rose. As carefully as possible, Orion managed to stand up and pull Rose with him.

"What's going on?" Ron groaned from the far corner of the compartment.

"Ouch!" Hermione cried. "Ron, that was my foot!"

"Stop it!" Orion hissed. "Everyone, to your feet and get your wands ready. _Lumos_." The tip or Orion's wand lit up like a beacon in the darkness. Orion watched as Hayden and Neville quickly jumped to their feet and pulled out their wands. Ron shakily did the same as he moved to the window and wiped a patch clean.

"There's something moving out there," Ron said nervously. "I think people are coming aboard…"

That was all Orion needed to hear. "All right, we don't have much time," he said quietly. "Ron, Hermione, you two stay by the window and protect Rose. Hayden, Neville, we're going to have to put some of that dueling practice into action."

As everyone moved to take their positions, the door slid open only to reveal Ginny's terrified face. "I was looking for Ron—"

Ron didn't hesitate. He grabbed Ginny by the arm and pulled her towards the window. Orion quickly closed the compartment door and locked it. Slowly, Orion stepped backwards until he felt Neville grasp his arm. Five wands pointed at the door as they waited in the deafening silence. The light from Orion's wand allowed them to see the corridor in front of their compartment, until a figure cloaked in black that towered to the ceiling blocked their view. Its face was completely hidden beneath its hood. The only part of the figure that could be seen was a grayish, scabbed, and dead-looking hand that slowly moved towards the handle of the sliding door.

"Wh—what is that thing?" Hermione shakily asked.

The door jerked a few times before a crack was heard and the door slid open easily. Everyone seemed to huddle together as the figure stepped into the compartment, its hand vanishing within the folds of its black cloak. Orion shakily raised his wand, ready to do—well, something. The figure then drew a long, slow, rattling breath, as though it were trying to suck something more than air from its surroundings.

An intense cold swept over all of them. Orion felt his own breath catch in his chest and knew that he had to act quickly. The cold intensified, seeming to go deeper than what should be physically possible. Distant, muffled voices teased and taunted Orion but it was the sight of Hayden collapsing and shaking on the floor was all that was needed to push Orion into action.

"_Flipendo_!" Orion shouted. There was a flash of white light and the figure stumped back a few steps. Not wasting the opportunity, Orion cast the jinx again and again until the figure was out of the compartment.

"_Expecto__ Patronum_!" a familiar voice shouted. Bright silver light filled the corridor, so intense that everyone had to look away.

Warmth rushed into the room allowing Orion to clear his head and drop to his knees to check on Hayden. The lanterns flickered for a few moments before staying lit and filling the compartments and corridor with light. Out of the corner of his eye, Orion noticed that Ginny and Rose were huddled against the wall, shaking and holding onto each other. He immediately looked up at a shocked Ron and Hermione and tilted his head in reference to Ginny and Rose. That was all that was needed to push Ron and Hermione into helping the frightened girls.

"What should we do, Orion?" Neville asked as he dropped to one knee as the train shook and started to move again.

Orion shrugged his shoulders and gently slapped Hayden's sweaty face. "Hayden, Hayden! Wake up!"

Hayden stirred. "W—what?" he asked groggily.

"Is everyone all right?" Remus asked as he hurried into the room followed by Sirius.

Hayden opened his eyes and slowly looked around. Remus and Sirius took the opportunity to help Hayden up to the nearest seat. It was then that Orion noticed just how bad Hayden actually looked. His glasses were askew and he looked extremely pale.

"Are you all right, Hayden?" Remus asked as he reached in his pocket and pulled out an enormous slab of chocolate.

"Yeah," Hayden said quietly as he looked towards the door. "What happened? Where's that—that thing? Who laughed?"

Ron helped Ginny sit down across from Hayden while Hermione did the same with Rose. Remus took the opportunity to break the chocolate into pieces and begin handing it out to everyone. Orion could see that Sirius and Remus suddenly looked pale and uncomfortable, as if they knew something but didn't think the students would be able to handle it.

"No one laughed, Hayden," Neville said nervously.

"But I heard it," Hayden insisted. "It was high pitched and—crazy-like."

Sirius and Remus shared a look before Remus knelt down in front of Hayden. "Hayden, that was a Dementor, one of the guards of Azkaban, searching the train for Peter Pettigrew and Bellatrix Lestrange. One tried to board the back of the train. That was where Sirius and I were. We managed to hold it off only to realize that there had been more than one. Dementors feed on hope and happiness leaving you with nothing but the worst experiences of your life. With your history, I imagine you were an easy target."

Hayden stared at Remus for a moment before dropping his gaze. "It was that night, wasn't it?" he asked quietly. "It was the night Voldemort attacked Harry and me. I remembered _him_."

Remus grasped Hayden's shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "I believe so," he answered. "Eat the chocolate, Hayden. It'll help."

As everyone started to slowly eat their chocolate, Sirius let out a sigh as he moved towards the door. "I'll speak to the driver. Remus, please stay with them," he said as his eyes shifted to Orion who tried to give his father a reassuring smile but wasn't sure he pulled it off. Sirius didn't look happy in the slightest as he left the compartment.

"Are you sure you're okay, Hayden?" Hermione asked as she sat down beside him.

Hayden's cheeks flushed as he stared at the floor and nodded. "Did any of you—you know?"

Everyone shook their head. "Ginny and Rose were nearly shaking as bad as you but they didn't pass out," Neville offered. "But, it's like Remus said. You've been through things—"

Hayden jumped to his feet, swaying slightly. "—so has Orion!" he protested. "Orion's faced Voldemort more than I have but he didn't pass out!"

Orion cast an uneasy glace and Remus. "This has nothing to do with the number of times one has faced Voldemort, Hayden," Remus said calmly. "It has to do with past experiences. None of us will ever understand what you went through when Voldemort tried to kill you and Harry, not only because of the experience itself but because of the trauma with your bond."

Hayden stared at Remus in confusion. "What bond?"

It was Remus' turn to be confused. "You don't remember?" he asked and let out a sigh when Hayden shook his head. "When you were younger, you two were able to basically communicate without words. You two were unbeatable at hide-and-seek and you were always able to tell your parents when Harry wasn't feeling well. Harry always hated that since he always wanted to go with you when your parents took you out."

Hayden sat down, dumbfounded. "Why would they take me out if Harry was sick?"

"Because everyone wanted to see the-boy-who-lived," Sirius answered as he entered the compartment, startling nearly everyone. "No one cared about his sick twin. We'll be at Hogwarts in ten minutes. I suggest all of you change into your robes. Hayden, you will be riding up to the castle with your father. I'll be taking over your father's shift."

Hayden cringed but nodded regardless. Ginny retreated back to her original compartment as Sirius left to finish his patrol. There wasn't much time to talk as everyone hastily pulled their robes out of their trunks and put them on. Hayden tried his best to clean up but still looked slightly ill. At long last, the train stopped at Hogsmeade station and everyone scrambled to get outside. Sirius was the first one off and immediately began ushering students to their proper location to keep things moving quickly which was a good thing. With the rain sill falling in icy sheets, it was freezing on the platform.

"Firs' years this way!" called the familiar voice of Hagrid. On normal circumstances, it was difficult to miss Hagrid. Tonight, however, all that could be seen was his gigantic outline as he beckoned the terrified-looking new students forward for their traditional journey across the lake.

As they stepped off the train, Orion and Hayden wished Rose luck on her sorting before parting ways. With Remus leading the way, Orion, Neville, Hayden, Ron, and Hermione followed the rest of the school along the platform to the invisible horse carriages—where Mr. Potter was waiting. The line came to a brief halt when Remus whispered something to Mr. Potter before ushering Hayden and Ron to follow Mr. Potter on the next available carriage, allowing Remus, Orion, Neville and Hermione to grab the next one.

Not a word was said as the carriage trundled past the iron gates where two more Dementors stood guard on either side. Orion could feel the coldness again and the whisper of voices but forced himself to ignore it. He needed to focus on the present and keep a level head. He was embarrassed that he had forgotten about the spells he had been taught over the summer the moment a Dementor entered the compartment.

_What would have happened if it had been Pettigrew and Lestrange?_

As the carriage swayed to a halt, Orion glanced out the tiny window to see students carefully walking up the stairs to the castle. One by one, they stepped out of the carriage and were once again hit by icy rain. Ron quickly joined them, looking extremely uncomfortable. Glancing over at Hayden and Mr. Potter, Orion had a feeling he knew why. Both Potters looked pale with pained looks on their faces. Hayden had obviously told Mr. Potter what he heard.

"Hurry up children," Remus said with a gentle push. "The quicker you can get out of this weather the better."

Needing no further encouragement, Orion, Neville, Hermione and Ron followed the crowd swarming up the steps with Hayden hurrying to join them. Stepping through the giant oak front doors into the cavernous Entrance Hall with flaming torches and the marble staircase that led to the upper floors, everyone let out a sigh of relief. They were finally there. Following the crowd towards the Great Hall, a strict voice brought them to a halt.

"Potter! Granger! I want to see you both!" Professor McGonagall called out.

Orion could only shrug helplessly as Hayden and Hermione reluctantly left to follow Professor McGonagall. He could understand Professor McGonagall asking for Hayden but Hermione?

"There's no need to look so worried — I just want a word in my office," Professor McGonagall told Hayden and Hermione.

Orion, Neville and Ron shared a confused look but continued into the Great Hall nonetheless. As quickly as possible, they made their way to the Gryffindor table, making sure to save two spots for Hayden and Hermione. It was like a sea of pointed hats, everyone trying to look through though the mass to see the Head Table. Professor McGonagall's chair was obviously empty as was Professor Flitwick's and Hagrid's. Orion couldn't help smiling at the sight of Remus sitting at the Head Table. If anyone belonged there, it was certainly Remus.

As soon as the final students had found their seats, an excited silence fell as the doors to the Great Hall opened. There was no missing Hagrid making his way to the Head Table but people had to stand to see tiny Professor Flitwick leading a long line of soaked and shivering first years up to the top of the Hall to line up facing the rest of the school. After a little searching, Orion managed to find Rose between two taller boys looking extremely frightened as she searched the hall before her eyes landed on Orion. He gave her a reassuring smile which was met half-heartedly.

All attention was on Professor Flitwick as he placed a three-legged stool on the ground before the first years and jumped up to put an extremely old, dirty patched wizard's hat on top of it. Orion was actually eager to listen to the song only to feel Neville nudge him in the ribs.

"What do you think about what Remus and your dad said about the Potters?" Neville whispered as soon as Orion met his gaze. "I don't remember much about back then but I do remember Mum telling me about Harry dying as well as she could. I mean, how can you explain death to a five-year-old? Anyways, I know Mrs. Potter came over a few times to talk about Harry and was always crying. Doesn't seem to match with someone who left the same kid home sick, does it?"

Orion could only shrug his shoulders. Asking a Black for an unbiased opinion of the Potters was like asking Professor Snape of an unbiased opinion of Gryffindors. Sure, both Orion and Sirius were trying to be polite but that didn't erase years of pain. It was just one of those things that you knew had to be fixed but you had no idea where to start. "Do you remember anything about Hayden or Harry?" Orion finally asked.

It was Neville's turn to shrug. "Not much," he admitted. "I remember running around Potter Manor with Hayden and I do remember a time when Harry tried to join us but Mrs. Potter yelled at all of us. To this day, I don't know why but I guess it doesn't matter. Harry died, the Potters stopped going to public functions and your dad adopted you. I know it sounds mean but I think Harry's death was what the Potters needed to get their priorities straight. There are more important things than showing off the-boy-who-lived."

Orion stared at Neville with a raised eyebrow only to return his attention to the Head Table when everyone around him broke into applause. Neville had never been one to say anything bad about anyone, no matter what they had done to him. _Perhaps it was something he overheard his parents say._ "But is that fair to Hayden and Rose?" Orion countered. "You've seen what it's done to Hayden. He still misses Harry."

The Gryffindors around them cheered. Orion and Neville joined in to welcome the new first year. "And he probably will until he dies," Neville said as the cheers died down. "If what Remus said is true than that means that Hayden and Harry were magically linked. Twins who perform magic is rare but twins who are linked by magic—that's extremely rare. I think Fred and George are the only two that I know who could be the same way. One twin can live without the other but they'll never feel complete."

"I've never heard of that," Orion said quietly as one of the tall boys who had stood by Rose was sorted into Ravenclaw.

Neville shrugged. "That's probably because it's more legend that fact. Mum told me. I guess no magical twin's ever wanted to talk about it."

"Or it's a load of rubbish," Orion countered as the Gryffindors broke out into cheers once again. "Remus is a big fan of myths and legends that are based on facts. He would have told me about it if there was any proof—"

"Potter, Rosalyn."

Whispers broke out as Orion turned his attention to Rose as she sat on the stool and the Sorting Hat was placed on her head. Her entire body was shaking. Underneath the table, Orion crossed his fingers and hoped that she was placed in—

"Gryffindor!"

Orion and Neville jumped to their feet and cheered while Rose jumped off the stool, handed the Sorting Hat over and ran to the Gryffindor table. As she sat down, hazel met green and a 'thumbs up' was shared between Orion and Rose. Orion knew that Hayden would regret not seeing Rose's sorting but at least she had someone present for support.

"What about the Fred and George then?" Neville whispered as they sat down, breaking into Orion's thoughts. "How can you explain them?"

In all honesty, Orion couldn't. "Look, I'm not saying that it's not a possibility," he whispered back. "I just know how people fictionalize everything to make a story entertaining. Look at Hayden, for example. There isn't a child raised in the wizarding world that doesn't know his 'story' but how much of it is the truth? Take Harry Potter's death! The only time his name is mentioned now is only to show how much _Hayden _has sacrificed for us all. Is that right?"

"Of course not!" Neville shot back in a hushed voice. "There's a lot wrong with the world. We know that. I just don't understand why you're taking what happened to Harry Potter so personally."

Orion shrugged his shoulders. He really didn't want to get into this in the middle of the Great Hall. "I guess I can just relate," he said uncomfortably. "I was an inconvenience for my birth parents too."

Neville stared at Orion in surprise. "I thought you didn't know anything about your birth parents. I thought you didn't _want_ to know."

Cheers broke out again as Vane, Romilda joined Gryffindor and sat down next to Rose, looking like she had just won the jackpot. "I don't," Orion insisted as soon as the noise died down to a more manageable level, "but they wouldn't have given me up if they could have taken care of me."

Neville's gaze turned sympathetic before shifting his attention to the Head Table where Professor Flitwick was carrying the Sorting Hat and the stool out of the hall. It was then that Orion noticed Hayden and Hermione rushing towards them while Professor McGonagall strode towards her empty seat beside Professor Dumbledore.

"What was all that about?" Ron asked as Hayden and Hermione sat down between him and Orion.

Hayden opened his mouth to explain only to stop when Professor Dumbledore stood up to speak with a large smile on his face.

"Welcome!" Professor Dumbledore said; the candlelight from the countless candles suspended above them shimmering on his beard. "Welcome to another year at Hogwarts! I have a few things to say to you all, and as one of them is very serious, I think it best to get it out of the way before you become befuddled by our excellent feast. As you will all be aware after their search of the Hogwarts Express, our school is presently playing host to some of the Dementors of Azkaban who are here on Ministry of Magic business."

There was an uncomfortable silence as several people around them, including Hayden shivered.

"They are stationed at every entrance to the grounds," Professor Dumbledore continued, "and while they are with us, I must make it plain that nobody is to leave school without permission. Dementors are not to be fooled by tricks or disguises. It is not in the nature of a Dementor to understand pleading or excuses. I therefore warn each and every one of you to give them no reason to harm you. I look to the prefects, and our new Head Boy and Girl, to make sure that no student runs afoul of the Dementors."

Percy, who was sitting a little ways down for Orion, puffed out his chest further than what should be possible and stared around impressively. Orion had a feeling that Percy wasn't going to be the type of Head Boy Bill had been. Bill had taken his responsibility seriously but also let students be students. Percy, on the other hand, would most likely try to rule with an iron fist. It was going to be a very long year.

"On a happier note," Professor Dumbledore said cheerfully. "I am pleased to welcome two new teachers to our ranks this year. First, Professor Lupin, who has kindly consented to fill the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher." The entire hall broke out in applause. After all, Remus had helped quite a bit with the Chamber of Secrets craziness last year.

"Snape's not happy!" Ron yelled over the applause, pointing out Professor Snape glaring at Remus from his spot along the Head Table.

"He's never gotten along with Remus—er—I mean Professor Lupin!" Orion yelled back.

Professor Dumbledore raised his hands and the applause quickly died away. "As to our second new appointment," he continued. "Well, I am sorry to tell you that Professor Kettleburn, our Care of Magical creatures teacher, retired at the end of last year in order to enjoy more time with his remaining limbs. However, I am delighted to say that his place will be filled by none other than Rubeus Hagrid, who has agreed to take on this teaching job in addition to his gamekeeping duties. "

Everyone was stunned for a moment before applauding again. Orion could only smile when he noticed Hagrid's bright red face and wide grin that was almost completely hidden in his tangle of black beard.

"We should've known!" Ron yelled. "Who else would have assigned us a biting book?"

Orion stared at Ron with a raised eyebrow. "What do you mean biting?" he asked. "You stroke the spine and it's just a book."

Hayden, Ron and Hermione stared at Orion incredulously as Neville let out a snort. Well, perhaps it wasn't such common knowledge. Remus had actually been the one to point the fact out to Orion and Neville after they had purchased their books.

"Well, I think that's everything of importance," Professor Dumbledore said over the dying applause. "Let the feast begin!"

The golden plates and goblets before them filled suddenly with food and drink. Everyone immediately helped themselves to food, all conversation forgotten except for Hayden who quickly asked Orion about Rose's sorting. Orion just smiled and motioned towards the end of the table where Rose was eating and talking to Romilda Vane.

Once Ron and begun his third helping, Hayden informed them that Remus had sent word about the Dementor so Professor McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey just wanted to check on him. Hermione, however, was rather tight-lipped on why Professor McGonagall wanted to talk to her which was strange. Hermione was always the first to share knowledge.

As soon as they were finished, Orion and Neville led the way to catch a quick word with Hagrid. Orion had to admit that he was slightly surprised with the appointment. Hagrid wasn't a qualified teacher. He hadn't even graduated Hogwarts due to his expulsion on false charges. At least Hagrid's name was finally cleared at Hogwarts and the Ministry.

"Congratulations, Hagrid!" Orion and Neville shouted together as soon as they reached the Head Table.

"All thanks ter you and yer dad, Orion," Hagrid said, wiping his shining face on his napkin. "Can' believe it…great man, Dumbledore…came straight down ter me hut after Professor Kettleburn said he'd had enough…It's what I always wanted…"

Professor McGonagall quickly shooed them away as Hagrid buried his face in his napkin. In any normal situation, it would have been funny to see someone as big as Hagrid break down like that but Orion knew that Hagrid didn't have much in his life other than what Professor Dumbledore had given him.

As they left the Head Table, Orion took the opportunity to wave to Remus and received a nod in return. That small gesture simply confirmed the type of teacher Remus would be. He would be fair and refrain from showing favoritism, even to his own nephew. Orion hadn't expected anything different. That was just the person Remus was.

Joining the rest of the Gryffindors streaming up the marble staircase, Orion couldn't help smile at the sight of Hayden looking around for any sight of Rose. Obviously he wasn't the only one who had learned his lesson. Slowly, they went along corridors and up more and more stairs until they reached the hidden entrance to Gryffindor Tower where a large portrait of a fat lady in a pink dress asked them, "Password?"

There was some pushing and shoving. "Coming through, coming through!" Percy called as he made his way to the front. "The new password's Fortuna Major!"

Neville flinched as Ron rolled his eyes. "Just announce the password to everyone who can hear, Percy," he grumbled.

The only sign that Percy had heard Ron's comment was the tips of his ears turning pink. Orion gave Neville a reassuring pat on the back before following Hayden through the portrait hole only to stumble back when Hayden backed into him. Looking over Hayden's shoulder, he could see Rose smiling widely.

"Congrats little sis'," Hayden said with a grin. "I never had any doubt."

Rose tried to push him but Hayden was ready for her and blocked the action. "Just remember Mum'll believe me more than she'd believe you," she warned.

"Possibly," Hayden countered. "Dad'll believe me though."

"But Dad's afraid of Mum," Rose shot back.

Hayden thought for a moment before shrugging. "Can't argue with that," he admitted as he walked around her towards the spiral staircase that led to the boys' dorms. "See you in the morning, Rosie."

Orion could have sworn he heard Rose growl and quickly moved to follow Hayden with Neville and Ron following suit. He would never understand why Hayden antagonized his sister since she could always retaliate better than what Hayden could. Tomorrow would be interesting. Reaching their familiar, circular dormitory with its six four-poster beds, Orion could only think of one thing. Sleep.

* * *


	4. Diverting Suspicion

Chapter 4

Diverting Suspicion

Orion, Neville and Hermione were among the first to arrive in the Great Hall for breakfast the next day since Hermione could no longer hold back her excitement for new classes. Personally, Orion thought she was out of her mind to sign up for everything but she was confident she could handle the load so who was he to question her? _At least until she realizes how much schoolwork that will be assigned._

It was probably mean to even think such a thing but Orion knew that Hermione needed to learn to limit herself. He had seen the results of overextending one's self. Sirius had been a victim of it all summer long.

"New third-year course schedules," George said, handing the schedules over as they sat down. "Oh, here comes your shadow."

That was the only warning they had before Rose dropped into the seat beside Orion who shot George a glare. A part of him knew that George was joking but he also knew that Rose wouldn't take it that way. George seemed to realize that he had crossed an invisible line and backed off after handing Rose her schedule.

"Where's your friend, Rose?" Neville asked curiously. "You two seemed to get along well last night."

Rose let out a frustrated sigh. "Oh, we got along," she said as she looked over her schedule. "Until she wanted to know about Hayden. '_What's Hayden's favorite color? What does Hayden like to eat? Are the stories about Hayden saving the school last year true? What's Hayden really like?'_ Honestly. I told her if she was so in love with Hayden she should just go ask him. That shut her up."

"Oooh," Fred jumped in. "Do we have someone striving to take little Gin-Gin's spot for number one fan?"

Orion and Neville snorted in their pumpkin juice. "Let's just hope she doesn't send Hayden a singing valentine," Neville muttered under his breath.

"Ooh, good, we're starting some new subjects today," Hermione interrupted happily causing everyone to look at her incredulously. "What? What did I miss?"

Fred and George sniggered in their food as Orion let out a sigh. "Nothing Hermione, nothing at all," Orion answered dryly. Hermione's eyes narrowed. "We're talking about Rose's friend being obsessed with Hayden."

Hermione shifted her gaze to Rose with a sympathetic look on her face. "I know it's hard, Rose, but give her a little time. Remember everyone's grown up hearing Hayden's story, no matter how false it may have been."

"Er—Hermione," Neville said looking over her shoulder. "They've messed up your schedule. Look—they've got you down for about ten subjects a day. That's impossible, isn't it?"

Hermione quickly pocketed her schedule. "Its okay, Neville," she insisted. "I've fixed it all with Professor McGonagall. That reminds me, Orion, there's a small conflict with Ancient Runes. You're supposed to come with me before Charms."

Orion frowned as he looked down at his own schedule and realized what Hermione was saying. He had Ancient Runes at the exact same time as Charms. That wasn't possible unless…_oh no way! They'd never…_ Glancing at Hermione, Orion realized they did. There was only one way to be in two places at once but to allow such an item in the hands of a child…Orion was amazed that Professor McGonagall ever considered allowing a student to have one in their possession and not abuse it.

"Thanks for waking us, Orion," Ron grumbled as he sat down across from them with Hayden following suit.

"We tried, Ron," Neville offered. "You told us to go away so we did."

Ron stared at Neville a moment before muttering 'sorry' and digging into breakfast. Fred and George made their opinion know by charming Ron's schedule so it took flight and continuously hit Ron in the head until Ron was able to grab it which struck Orion as odd. Normally, Fred and George were slightly more forward with their teasing.

Everyone's attention was diverted as Hagrid entered the Great Hall wearing his long moleskin overcoat and holding a dead polecat in one enormous hand. "All righ' everyone?" Hagrid asked eagerly as he paused on his way to the Head Table. "Yer in my firs' ever lesson! Right after lunch! Bin up since five gettin' everythin' ready…hope it's ok…me, a teacher…hones'ly…"

To say that everyone was speechless as Hagrid headed off to the Head Table was an understatement, at least until Fred spoke up. "Oh, that's never a good thing," he said with surprising seriousness. "If Hagrid's that happy then that means the surprise is large and dangerous."

"I suppose we'll find out later," Hermione said as she stood up. "We better go. We have Divination first."

"And look!" Ron added, staring at his schedule. "It's at the top of North Tower. It'll take us ten minutes to get there…"

Orion bit back a smile as Ron and Hayden hastily shoved their mouths full of food and jumped to their feet with Neville following suit. They turned to leave only to pause and look back at Orion. "Ori, aren't you coming?" Hayden asked.

Orion shook his head. "I didn't sign up for Divination," he answered with a knowing smile. "I signed up for Ancient Runes instead. Good luck though. I've heard Professor Trelawney loves to start off the year with a bang."

Neville, Hermione, Hayden and Ron stared at Orion in confusion for a moment before snapping out of it and hurrying out of the Great Hall. As soon as they were out of sight, Fred and George started laughing. "That was cruel, mate," Fred said between laughs. "I wonder how long Hermione'll last."

"I don't know, dear brother," George countered. "She's stubborn. She may just suffer through it to prove a point."

Orion could only roll his eyes and turn his attention to Rose. "Well, I have a free period at the moment. Do you need any help finding your first class?" he asked only to receive a shocked look in return. "If you already have arrangements—"

"—NO!" Rose interrupted loudly causing those around them to turn and stare. Her face flushed in embarrassment as she stared down at her plate. "Sorry. I just thought you would be busy…"

"Busy doing what?" Orion countered as he stood up. "Look, Rose, I spent years roaming the halls of Hogwarts before I was actually a student here. No one else was that lucky. A lot of first years got lost trying to find their classes. It happens every year."

Rose bit her lower lip for a moment before nodding and rising to her feet. "All right," she said with a smile. "Lead on, oh fearless guide. Lead on."

Orion could only let out a sigh as he led the way out of Great Hall. He would give Rose today to gain some confidence. Tomorrow was another story.

"Rose! Wait!"

Orion glanced over his shoulder to see the dark haired girl who had talked to Rose the night before hurrying to catch up. Not wanting to be put in the middle of something, Orion kept walking but at a slightly slower pace. His father had always said that no male was ever meant to understand a female and Remus never said anything to the contrary. Until now, Orion had thought it had been simply an excuse to explain why Sirius and even Remus rarely dated.

"What do you want Romilda?" Rose asked tiredly when the first year caught up. "Hayden's already left for classes."

"Rose, I'm sorry," Romilda pleaded. "You were right. It's just that I grew up hearing about the-boy-who-lived and with everything I heard on the train—well—I'm really sorry."

Rose huffed in annoyance "I'm sure you heard all about how heroic Hayden was but what most people don't realize is that my brother almost died every time. No one knows what happened that night, Romilda. No one knows why Hayden lived and Harry ended up dying. No one cares about the truth when they're busy trying to make up stories that make Hayden out to be something he's not!"

Orion fought the urge to turn around and scare Romilda Vane away. With really no one else to talk to, Rose had revealed many of her worries to him—worries that no normal eleven-year-old should have. Of course, the Potter family wasn't what most would consider a 'normal' family but it was still alarming how much two events affected everyone in the family.

Romilda shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot. "So, do you forgive me?" she pleaded.

Rose let out a long sigh. "Yes, I forgive you but if you ever talk about my _brother_ like that again…"

_Like that would ever happen._ With extreme effort, Orion remained silent as he walked up the stairs. Hayden would have to do something substantial for the wizarding world to move past their obsession with him and even then it wouldn't be a 'normal' life. It was one of those things that were never mentioned. Hayden was doomed to be either praised or criticized for every little thing for the rest of his life. Orion couldn't help wincing at the thought. This was what his father had been talking about when he said that being a celebrity came at a price.

With her new friend, Rose was extremely eager to face her first class at Hogwarts. Thankfully it was Charms and not Potions or History of Magic. Although Orion still had some reservations concerning Romilda's sincerity, he knew that Rose could take care of herself. After all, she had learned plenty of spells from Sirius over the summer if the situation called for it.

The halls quickly emptied with the last remaining students hurrying to their classes, leaving Orion in an eerie silence. It was strange. For as long as Orion could remember, Hogwarts had never felt so…scary. It was almost like the Dementors guarding the school had already drained what used to be a bright and happy place if that was possible. It almost made Orion want to stay away from the windows so he could attempt to conveniently forget what was happening.

With nothing else to do at the moment, Orion settled for a quick visit to the library in search for a book on advanced charms, including the Patronus. With what happened yesterday, some extra training certainly wouldn't hurt. After all, his father and uncle wouldn't always be there to save their skins.

It had taken some searching but Orion eventually found one book that hadn't already been checked out. It was a little more advanced that what Orion was ready for but a little extra work never hurt anyone, at least that was what Remus always said. Now it was up to Orion to put Remus' lessons into action. He wasn't about to put more stress on his uncle who felt that he had so much to prove to those who still believed the stereotypes that followed Remus' kind.

Before Orion knew it, it was time for his first class of the day, Transfiguration. He made an effort to arrive early in hope to hear how Divination had been but everyone ended up arriving just before class started. Neville immediately sat down beside him looking pale and withdrawn. Alarmed, Orion quickly looked around the classroom and saw Hayden sitting in the back of the room with his head in his hands while Ron sat beside him with a worried look on his face. _Well, that proves who Trelawney's victim was._

"She predicted Hayden's death, didn't she?" Orion whispered to Neville who looked at Orion in alarm. "She does it every year, Neville. At least, that's what Cedric, Fred and George have told me."

Neville opened his mouth to reply only to be silenced when Professor McGonagall began speaking about Animagi. It was almost funny how she avoided meeting Orion's gaze. Only a few knew about Orion's Animagus abilities mostly because not many would agree with teaching a small child such difficult magic. Strangely enough, becoming an Animagus had been one of the easiest things Orion had ever done because he had wanted it so badly in order to spend more time with his father and uncle.

It was obvious that Orion was the only one paying attention to the lecture when he was the only one who applauded after Professor McGonagall had transformed herself into a tabby cat with spectacle markings around her eyes. "Really, what has got into you all today?" Professor McGonagall asked, turning back into herself with a faint pop. "Not that it matters, but that's the first time my transformation's not got applause from the entire class."

Nearly everybody's heads turned towards Hayden but no one said a word. Finally, Hermione raised her hand. "Please, Professor, we've just had our first Divination class, and we were reading the tea leaves, and—"

"Ah, of course," said Professor McGonagall with a frown on her face. "There is no need to say any more, Miss Granger. Tell me, which of you will be dying this year?"

Orion couldn't help glancing at Neville with a 'didn't I tell you' look on his face.

"Me," Hayden said at last in a shaky voice.

"I see," Professor McGonagall said stiffly. "Then you should know, Potter, that Sibyll Trelawney has predicted the death of one student a year since she arrived at this school. None of them have died yet. Seeing death omens is her favorite way of greeting a new class. If it were not for the fact that I never speak ill of my colleagues—" Professor McGonagall hesitated for a moment before continuing. "Divination is one of the most imprecise branches of magic. I shall not conceal from you that I have very little patience with it. You look in excellent health to me, Potter, so you will excuse me if I don't let you off homework today. I assure you that if you die, you need not hand it in."

Hermione laughed and Hayden relaxed slightly but it seemed that not everyone was convinced. "But what about Neville's cup?" Lavender Brown whispered.

Orion stared at Neville with a raised eyebrow only to be met with an embarrassed flush of the face. Apparently, Neville had another flash of clumsiness. Not really a prediction to write home about. Everyone knew that Neville was a bit of a klutz.

When Transfiguration finally finished, Orion and Neville hurried to catch up with Hayden, Ron and Hermione before joining the crowd thundering toward the Great Hall for lunch. They sat down at the end of the table, far from Lavender and Parvati who still looked at Hayden like he would drop dead at any moment. Surprisingly, Ron still seemed to be sharing the sentiment.

"Ron, cheer up," Hermione said, pushing a dish of stew toward him. "You heard what Professor McGonagall said."

Ron spooned some stew onto his plate but didn't start eating. "Hayden," he said in a low, serious voice. "You haven't seen a great black dog anywhere, have you?"

That caught Orion's attention. "What?" he asked quickly.

Hayden let out a sigh. "Professor Trelawney claimed that she saw the Gemini symbol and the Grim in my cup," he told Orion. "At first I figured it was referring to Harry but—"

"—Harry's already dead, Hayden," Ron said softly, his eyes staring at his stew. "You don't understand. It's the Grim! My—my uncle Billus saw one—and he died twenty-four hours later!"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Coincidence," she said airily, pouring herself some pumpkin juice. "Besides, Hayden hasn't seen the Grim. Have you Hayden?"

Hayden shook his head although he still looked troubled. "You know, everyone tells me that I need to move on and forget Harry but how can I when I'm always being reminded of him?"

No one could think of an answer to that. Orion bit his lip nervously while contemplating whether he should say anything or not. It couldn't be a coincidence that Hayden saw Sirius Black's Animagus form in his cup. However, the fact that Hayden didn't think of it as anything other than an actual Grim proved that James Potter hadn't revealed much from his days at Hogwarts.

"I think Divination seems very woolly," Hermione said as she reached in her bag and pulled out her Arithmancy book. "A lot of guesswork, if you ask me."

"There was nothing woolly about the Grim in that cup!" Ron said hotly, glaring at Hermione while she propped it open against the juice jug.

"You didn't seem quite so confident when you were telling Hayden it was a sheep," Hermione shot back.

"Professor Trelawney said you didn't have the right aura! You just don't like being bad at something for a change!"

"Guys!" Neville interjected pleadingly. "Please don't fight. Hermione's right. Divination is mostly based on interpretation. Professor Trelawney said so herself and this 'aura' is basically the ability to believe in taking a lot on faith. Logic doesn't play a part in Divination. I think that's why Trelawney said Hermione would struggle."

Hermione let out a huff and started reading. When Ron stared angrily stuffing his face, Orion, Neville and Hayden knew not to push the topic anymore. It was a difference of opinion based on backgrounds. Hermione came from the Muggle world where nearly everything could be explained by science. Ron, on the other hand, grew up in the world of magic learning many of the tales of the unexplainable—including how a one-year-old child could defeat a powerful Dark Lord.

The challenge would be finding a happy medium. Not everything could be logically explained and not all myths held truth to them.

It was a relief for some to get out of the castle after lunch although others were weary of where the Dementors could be. There was still a slight chill in the air but at least the rain from yesterday had cleared so they weren't getting soaked. Walking down to Hagrid's hut on the edge of the Forbidden Forest, Orion, Neville and Hayden made an effort to remain between Ron and Hermione who now weren't speaking to each other. To Orion, the entire situation was ridiculous. Why couldn't Ron and Hermione agree to disagree?

Leading the way down the sloping lawns, Orion withheld a groan at the sight of three only-too-familiar backs ahead of them. Who in their right mind would pair the Gryffindors with the Slytherins for a class that dealt with dangerous creatures? It was only asking for an accident to happen mostly because Draco Malfoy was included in the mix. The only way Orion could describe Draco was a selfish, immature prat who relied too much on the influence of Lucius Malfoy.

Hagrid was waiting for his class at the door of his hut wearing his moleskin overcoat. By his side was Fang the boarhound. "C'mon, now, get a move on!" Hagrid called out. "Got a real treat for yeh today! Great lesson comin' up! Everyone here? Right, follow me!"

Everyone hesitated when it looked like Hagrid was going to lead them into the forest. It wasn't until Hagrid strolled off around the edge of the trees that everyone relaxed and followed. After five minutes of walking, they were standing outside a sort of homemade paddock that was empty. The fact that they needed something blocking them from the creature left Orion feeling very uneasy.

"Everyone gather 'round the fence here!" Hagrid called. "That's it—make sure yeh can see—now, firs' thing yeh'll want ter do is open yer books—"

"How?" Draco drawled as Orion pulled out his own book and opened it by stroking the spine.

"Eh?" Hagrid asked in confusion.

"How do we open our books?" Draco repeated, not noticing Hayden, Neville, Hermione, and Ron following Orion's lead. His attention was on Hagrid as he pulled out his own copy of The Monster Book of Monsters, which was bound shut with a length of rope. Other Slytherins pulled out their own books bound in a similar fashion.

Hagrid glanced around, his gaze halting on the Gryffindors. "Orion, how'd yeh figure it out?" he asked with a smile.

"I stroked the spine, Professor," Orion answered, returning the smile.

Hagrid's grin widened. "Very good, Orion," he said then turned his attention to the entire class. "Righ' then, so while the rest of yeh open yer books, I'll get the Magical Creatures." Hagrid strode away from them into the forest and out of sight.

"God, this place is going to the dogs," Draco said loudly as he tried and failed to open his book properly. "That oaf teaching classes, my father'll have a fit when I tell him—"

"Shut up, Malfoy," Hayden interrupted. "It's not Hagrid's fault you couldn't figure out how to open your book."

"And I'm sure that you figured it out _all on your own_, Potter," Draco said sarcastically. "Tell me, just how long are you going to hide behind Black?"

"Ooooooh!" Lavender squealed, pointing toward the opposite side of the paddock.

Trotting toward them were a dozen large creatures that made Orion hold in a groan. Only Hagrid would think having Hippogriffs on the first day was a good idea. With bodies, hind legs and tails of horses while the front legs, wings and heads resembled giant eagles, Hippogriffs were rather intimidating creatures and widely known for being extremely proud and easily offended. Their talons on their front legs were half a foot long and most often the weapon used against those who were stupid enough to upset them.

Hagrid came jogging behind the creatures with the long chains attached to the thick leather collars around their necks in his large hand. "Gee up, there!" he roared, shaking the chains and turning the creatures toward the fence where the class stood. He seemed completely oblivious to the fear in everyone's eyes as they stepped back.

"Hippogriffs!" Hagrid said happily. "Beauiful, aren' they?" No one said a word. "So, if yeh wan' ter come a bit nearer…" There was definitely a hesitation before Orion took the initiative and cautiously approached the fence with Neville and Hermione following suit. "Now, firs' thing yeh gotta know abou' Hippogriffs is, they're proud. Easily offended Hippogriffs are. Don't never insult one, 'cause it might be the last thing yeh do."

At the sound of whispering, Orion glanced over his shoulder to see Draco talking in an undertone with his cronies, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle. That was just asking for trouble. Draco didn't like Hagrid, that was a given, however, not paying attention now was simply begging for someone to get hurt.

"Yeh always wait fer the Hippogriff ter make the firs' move," Hagrid continued. "It's polite, see? Yeh walk toward him, and yeh bow, an' yeh wait. If he bows back, yeh're allowed to touch him. If he doesn' bow, then get away from him sharpish, 'cause those talons hurt. So, who wants ter go first?"

Everyone took a step back except for Orion. Compared to what he'd seen in the past, a Hippogriff was a piece of cake. "I'll do it," he said, climbing over the paddock fence.

"Good man, Orion!" Hagrid roared. "Right then—let's see how yeh get on with Buckbeak." He untied one of the chains and pulled the gray Hippogriff away from the others. Slipping off the leather collar, Hagrid seemed to be oblivious to everyone on the other side of the paddock holding their breath. "Easy now, Orion. Yeh've got ter keep eye contact, now try not ter blink. Hippogriffs don' trust yeh if yeh blink too much…"

Orion nodded, shifting his gaze to meet Buckbeak's fierce orange eyes. Maintaining eye contact for a long moment, Orion thought he saw something strange in Buckbeak's eyes but ignored it before bowing. The tension in the air was suffocating as everyone waited for something to happen.

Then something did.

Gasps filled the air when Buckbeak stepped forward and bowed his head to sniff Orion's neck. Orion could hear Hagrid cautiously stepping forward in alarm but fought to remain still. He understood what was happening. Buckbeak had sensed the animal within. Buckbeak had sensed Shadow and was trying to figure out of _Shadow_ was a threat.

"Ah," Hagrid said, sounding worried. "Right—back away, now, Orion, easy does it—"

Buckbeak let out a loud squawk of annoyance at Hagrid before returning its gaze to Orion and bent its scaly front knees and sank into what was an unmistakable bow. Orion could only let out a sigh of relief. At least now his secret could still remain a secret.

"Well done, Orion!" Hagrid said enthusiastically. "Right—yeh can touch him now! Pat his beak, go on!"

Orion did as he was told, noticing that Buckbeak kept sniffing him as if he were trying to put Orion's scent into memory. Now that was odd.

As applause filled the air, Hagrid took another step forward. "I reckon he migh' let yeh ride him!" Hagrid said eagerly. Orion stared at Hagrid in alarm. That wasn't something he had volunteered for. Riding a wild animal was very different than a broomstick but Hagrid paid him no notice. "Yeh climb up there, jus' behind the wing joint," Hagrid continued, "an' mind yeh don' pull any of his feathers out, he won' like that."

Resigned to his fate, Orion put his foot on the top of Buckbeak's wing and hoisted himself onto its back. Buckbeak stood up and squawked once again at Hagrid which was his only warning before the twelve-foot wings flapped open on either side of Orion. There was only enough time to grab Buckbeak around the neck before they were soaring upward. Orion instinctively closed his eyes and hoped that the ride would be a short one. He knew he was a risk-taker when it came to flying a broom but a broom could be controlled. It listened to you. Buckbeak, however, listened to no one. Orion's life was in Buckbeak's hands.

It had been a short flight—only once around the paddock—but it was certainly long enough. Landing had been difficult. It took extreme effort from Orion to not slip off. The moment Buckbeak's feet hit the ground, Orion was sliding off as cheers greeted him.

"Good work, Orion!" Hagrid roared. "Okay, who else wants a go?"

Orion's eyes widened in alarm. That wasn't a good idea. Quickly, Orion grabbed Hagrid's sleeve and pulled hard enough to get Hagrid's attention.

"Somethin' wrong, Orion?" Hagrid asked, bending down slightly.

"Hagrid, Draco wasn't paying attention when you were warning everyone," Orion said quickly. "Don't let him out of your sight."

Hagrid's eyes widened as he hurried towards Buckbeak where Draco, Vincent and Gregory just happened to be. Orion watched nervously as Buckbeak bowed to Draco who then reached up and patted his beak. From the look on Draco's face, Orion knew that is was only a matter of—

"This is very easy," Draco drawled, loud enough for Orion to hear him. "I knew it must have been, if Black could do it…I bet you're not dangerous at all, are you, you great ugly brute?"

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Hagrid roared as he pulled Draco away just as Buckbeak reared back on his hind legs to strike. "I warned yeh! Get outta here 'n don' come back until yeh've learned ter list'n! That'll be detention with Filch—for a week!"

Draco stared at Hagrid with a mixture of hatred and embarrassment on his face. "When my father—"

"—yer father knows the rules!" Hagrdi interrupted angrily. "Get back ter the castle! I'll be telling Snape abou' this!"

Without another word, Draco turned and left with Vincent and Gregory following him after a moment of hesitation. No one said a word for the rest of the class although it looked like the remaining Slytherins wanted to. Pansy Parkinson was almost shaking in suppressed anger. Ron, on the other hand, was failing to hide the almost ecstatic smile from his face. With the family feud between the Malfoy and Weasley families, Ron always loved to see Draco's arrogance taken down a peg.

When they were finally dismissed, the Slytherins broke off and started criticizing Hagrid on their way back to the castle. Orion knew that they were just defending their house mate but honestly. Draco could have been really hurt—or even killed—just because he didn't follow Hagrid's instructions. The problem was that Draco was too prejudiced to see anything other than what he wanted to see and that was because his father was exactly the same way.

"You don't think something bad will happen to Hagrid, do you?" Hermione asked nervously as they entered the Great Hall for dinner.

"If not it won't be for lack of trying," Ron said. "The Malfoy's are all about public opinion and what happened—well, let's just say that Malfoy ended up looking like nothing more than a spoiled brat."

"It'd be different if the punishment came from someone like Professor McGonagall," Neville added. "I think Malfoy made his opinion of Hagrid obvious. If he thinks someone is beneath him, he won't listen to them."

"And Lucius Malfoy is no different," Orion said as they sat down. "We haven't heard the last of this, trust me."

"Well, you can't say it wasn't an interesting first day back," Ron offered only to receive incredulous looks from those around him.


	5. The Boggart

Chapter 5

The Boggart

For the next few days, rumors of Draco's scolding by Hagrid were all that could be heard through the halls. The truth had quickly been twisted into a work of fiction that made Hagrid out to be nothing more than an unqualified oaf who abused his authority. There were even rumors that Lucius Malfoy was going to have Hagrid fired after he had arrived the morning after the 'incident' in a fury, demanding to see Professor Dumbledore.

No one knew what had been said but the look on Lucius Malfoy's face allowed everyone to draw similar conclusions. Hagrid was in trouble. Unfortunately, the additional subjects, schoolwork and intensified restrictions made it impossible to visit Hagrid to make sure everything was all right.

Of course, Draco was making everything worse by strutting around Hogwarts with a superior smirk on his face. Orion seriously wanted to knock some sense into him and he wasn't alone. It seemed that all of the Gryffindors wanted nothing more than to hex Draco beyond recognition. Draco had been a git in class and deserved the reprimand. If it had been Professor McGonagall, Draco would have complained but everyone would have accepted that Draco deserved the punishment. There were only doubts because many already doubted Hagrid's ability to teach students.

Double Potions late Thursday morning was unbearable. Since Professor Snape favored his house above all others, he allowed Draco to 'quietly' explain to his housemates what was in store for Hagrid. With Gryffindor being the house Professor Snape loathed, speaking up against it would only result in a detention. Orion had a feeling that was the only reason Draco was making such a display.

"Father insists that the oaf will be out of here by Yule at the latest," Draco said with a smirk to Pansy Parkinson. "With any luck, we'll finally have a competent teacher who cares about our safety, not dangerous atrocities."

Ron let out a soft growl while gripping his knife tightly. With a quick nudge from Hayden, Ron resumed trying to cut up his daisy roots for the Shrinking Solution they were making. Every comment Draco made seemed to be like a knife, scraping at Ron's patience.

"Ignore him," Hermione whispered out of the side of her mouth while cutting her own roots. "He'll get his."

Hayden let out a snort. "Only if someone stands up to him _and_ his father," he whispered back as he skinned the shrivelfig.

"Seen your pal Hagrid lately, Potter?" Draco asked as he glanced over his shoulder.

Hayden glared at Draco but remained quiet. Orion could only roll his eyes before returning his complete attention to help his partner which happened to be Neville since Potions was always Neville's worst subject. Of course most of the reason for that was Professor Snape's _charming_ personality but no one was going to verbally admit that.

"You know it's only for the good of everyone," Draco continued. "I mean, with the _danger_ out there, why add another in here?"

"You know," Seamus Finnigan interrupted quietly. "I heard Lestrange has been sighted. It was in the Daily Prophet this morning."

"Where?" Hayden asked quickly.

"Not too far from here," Seamus answered as he leaned over to borrow Hayden's brass scales. "It was Muggle who saw her but only for a moment. They had to modify the muggle's memory 'cause Muggles aren't supposed to know about Apparation. At first she just thought she was seeing things but she phoned the telephone hot line anyways."

"Not too far from here," Ron muttered, looking significantly at Hayden. "Is she insane? Why would she come here of all places? Dumbledore's here."

"Because she _is_ insane," Hayden muttered back. "Nothing was said about Pettigrew?"

Seamus shook his head. "They think Pettigrew and Lestrange split up but the Ministry admits that they don't know where else Pettigrew would go. I mean, everyone sort of assumed Pettigrew would be the one coming here."

"Plan on catching him yourself, Weasley?" Draco drawled.

Ron glared at Draco hatefully. "No, I figured your _cousin's_ team will do it," he snapped. "How does it feel, Malfoy—knowing that your aunt will be killed on sight?"

Orion winced while students around them gasped. That was certainly a low blow. The Malfoys had done a lot (mostly through means of money) to repair their reputation after Voldemort vanished—including turning their backs on the Lestrange family which consisted of Narcissa Malfoy's sister.

Draco glowered at Ron. "What would you know, Weasley?" he snarled. "You're uncles are dead."

Ron moved to attack Draco only to be halted by Professor Snape announcing, "You should have finished adding your ingredients by now; this potion needs to stew before it can be drunk, so clear away while it simmers and then we'll test one. Mr. Malfoy, I do hope your own potion is completed or I may question to why you are helping Potter and Weasley with theirs"

With a final smirk at Ron, Draco returned to his own potion. Everyone made an effort to stay out of Ron's way, watching as he angrily packed his unused ingredients away. The last thing they needed was Ron doing something stupid with Professor Snape nearby inspecting the potions. Finally, Professor Snape stopped in front of Neville's potion.

"Everyone gather 'round," Professor Snape said, his black eyes glittering as he placed a thin garden snake on the table, "and watch what happens to the snake. If Longbottom's managed to produce a Shrinking Solution, it will shrink to the size of a hatchling. If, as I don't doubt, he has done it wrong, this snake is likely to be poisoned."

Neville was almost shaking in fear, not because of the possible fate of the snake but of what Professor Snape's reaction may be. The Slytherins, on the other hand, looked almost gleeful. No one said a word as Professor Snape picked up the snake in his left hand and dipped a small spoon into Neville's green potion. After prying the snake's mouth open, Professor Snape trickled a few drops down the snake's throat.

There was almost no wait before a small pop was heard and the snake had shrunk to the size of a long worm. The Gryffindors burst into applause while the Slytherins looked disgruntled. Professor Snape looked positively sour as he pulled a small bottle from the pocket of his robe, poured a few drops on top of the snake which reappeared suddenly, fully grown.

"Five points from Gryffindor," Professor Snape snapped, wiping all the smiles off the faces of the Gryffindors. "Doing his work for him helps no one, Black. Class dismissed."

With a great effort, Hayden and Orion pulled Ron out of the classroom with Hermione and Neville following. Neville looked positively green. The entire situation made Orion so frustrated. The only reason Professor Snape singled out Neville was because he knew Neville wouldn't do anything in retribution.

"Snape's nothing but a bully," Hayden muttered angrily as they climbed the steps to the Entrance Hall.

"Five points from Gryffindor because the potion was all right!" Ron added in outrage. "Orion's always helps us! Why's it a problem now?"

Orion could only shrug his shoulders as he glanced over his shoulder to glance at Neville and Hermione only to find that Hermione wasn't there. Discretely, Orion looked around and finally spotted Hermione hurrying up the stairs; one hand clutching her bag, the other seeming to be tucking something down the front of her robes. _She really has to be more careful._ Slowing his pace slightly, Orion let Hayden, Ron and Neville go ahead. It didn't take long for Hermione to catch up.

"What did I miss?" Hermione asked, panting slightly.

Orion stared at her with a raised eyebrow. "You nearly missed Ron and Hayden realizing that you vanished," he answered dryly. "Hermione, this is crazy. You—"

"—oh no!" Hermione cried as the seam of her bag split open, sending at least a dozen large and heavy books crashing to the floor.

Orion let out a sigh and pulled out his wand. With a few waves of the wand, he had her bag fixed and books shrunk to a more manageable size. "Hermione—"

"—don't start, Orion," Hermione interrupted as she quickly put everything back in her bag and stood up. "You don't understand. You were raised in this world. I need to learn as much as I can—"

"—then drop Muggle Studies," Orion countered. "You're Muggle-born! There's no need to spend the hours of schoolwork and class time on something you already know!" Hermione let out an annoyed huff and turned to enter the Great Hall. Orion quickly grabbed her arm to stop her. "I mean it, Hermione. If you insist on trying to do everything you'll never reach your full potential. Find your strength and focus on that."

Hermione turned and stared at Orion suspiciously. "What's your strength?" she asked curiously.

"Defense and Charms," Orion answered immediately. "Those are the subjects I find that it takes very little effort to understand. Neville's is Herbology, Hayden's is Transfiguration, Rose's is Potions, and Ron—well—Ron would probably excel in Charms if he bothered to put forth the effort."

"And what about me?" Hermione asked nervously.

Orion shrugged. "That's up for you to find out," he said seriously. "Think about it. What area of magic sings to you?" At Hermione's thoughtful look, Orion released his grip on her arm and walked past her. "Think about it, all right?"

* * *

To say that Orion was excited for his Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson with _Professor Lupin_ would be an understatement. They arrived early and quickly grabbed seats in the front row. Ron was almost bouncing in his seat while pulling out his supplies since Hayden, Orion and Neville had told him all about their lessons over the summer. They had just begun quietly speculating what the first lesson would be when Remus entered the room. Orion couldn't help smiling when Remus shot them a wink on his way to the front of the room and set his new briefcase (a gift from Sirius' team) on the teacher's desk.

"Good afternoon," Remus said kindly. "Would you please put all your books back in your bags? Today's lesson will be a practical lesson. You will need only your wands." When everyone did as they were told, Remus continued, "Right then. If you'd follow me."

Orion and Hayden were first in line following Remus out of the classroom. They walked along the deserted corridor and around the corner only to come face to face with Peeves the Poltergeist, who was floating upside down in midair and stuffing the nearest keyhole with chewing gum. Peeves finally looked up when Remus was two feet away then wiggled his curly-toed feet and broke into song.

"Loony, loopy Lupin," Peeves sang. "Loony, loopy Lupin, loony, loopy Lupin —"

"I'd take the gum out of the keyhole if I were you, Peeves," Remus said with a smile. "Mr. Filch won't be able to get in to his brooms." Peeves' response was blowing a loud, wet raspberry at Remus, forcing Remus to act. Giving a small sigh, Remus took out his wand and raised it to shoulder height. "This is a useful little spell. Please watch closely. _Waddiwasi_!"

Everyone watched as Remus pointed his wand at Peeves and with the force of a bullet, the wad of chewing gum shot out of the keyhole and straight down Peeves' left nostril. Orion couldn't help snorting in laughter as Peeves whirled upright and zoomed away, cursing. If only everyone know about the last time Remus had used that spell. It had taken Sirius two hours to remove the gum…with magic.

"Cool, sir!" Dean Thomas exclaimed in amazement.

"Thank you, Dean," Remus said with a smile, putting his wand away. "Shall we proceed?"

They continued down the corridor and then another before stopping right outside the staffroom door. Orion could see a mixture of confusion and eagerness on everyone's faces. Already they had learned more than the past two years in Defense Against the Dark Arts.

"Inside, please," Remus said opening the door and standing back.

The staffroom was exactly as Orion remembered it which was empty except for one teacher: Professor Snape. From the look on his face, it was clear that he wasn't happy that his relaxation time had been interrupted.

"Ah, Severus," Remus said pleasantly. "Forgive me, I did post a notice that I would be using the room during this time—"

"—I saw the notice, Lupin," Professor Snape interrupted standing up. "However, I expected that you would instruct your class before throwing them to the _wolves_."

Orion glared at Professor Snape. That was a low blow and certainly close to breaking the order Professor Dumbledore had given the entire staff. They all know of Remus' furry little problem but they weren't allowed to pass the information onto the students.

"Oh, I have a feeling that every single one of them is up to the challenge," Remus countered knowingly. "You should know from experience, Severus, what determined children can accomplish when they put their minds to it."

Professor Snape sneered at Remus before leaving, his black robes billowing behind him. As soon as the door closed with a snap, everyone nervously shifted their attention to Remus. They all wanted to prove Professor Snape wrong but the truth was that they really had no experience in practical lessons in Defense Against the Dark Arts.

"Now, then," Remus said, beckoning the class towards the old wardrobe at the end of the room. When Remus stood next to it, the wardrobe gave sudden wobble. "Nothing to worry about. There's a Boggart in there." He paused at the frightened looks he received. "Boggarts like dark, enclosed spaces. Wardrobes, the gap beneath beds, the cupboards under sinks—I've even met one that had lodged itself in a grandfather clock. This one moved in yesterday afternoon, and I asked the headmaster if the staff would leave it to give my third years some practice. So, the first question we must ask ourselves is: what is a Boggart?"

Hermione and Orion both raised their hands but Hermione spoke up first. "It's a shape-shifter," she said. "It can take the shape of whatever it thinks will frighten us most."

"Couldn't have put it better myself," Remus said with a grin. "So, the Boggart sitting in the darkness within has not yet assumed a form. He does not yet know what will frighten the person on the other side of the door. Nobody knows what a Boggart looks like when he is alone, but when I let him out, he will immediately become whatever each of us most fears. This means that we have a huge advantage over the Boggart before we begin. Have you spotted it, Hayden?"

"Er—because there are so many of us, it won't be able to turn into just one shape, right?" Hayden asked uncertainly.

"Correct," Remus said smiling as Hermione put her hand down in disappointment. "It's always best to have a crowd when you're dealing with a Boggart to confuse it. Which should he become, a headless corpse or a flesh-eating slug? I once saw a Boggart make that very mistake—tried to frighten two people at once and turn himself into half a slug. Not remotely frightening. The charm that repels a Boggart is simple, yet it requires force of mind. You see, the thing that really finishes a Boggart is laughter. What you need to do is force it to assume a shape that you find amusing."

Remus paused to look around to find everyone staring at him, eager for the next step. "We will practice the charm without wands first," he continued. "After me, please…Riddikulus!"

Orion watched as everyone repeated the spell. His mind was already working on the next part: figuring out what you were afraid of and finding a way to make it funny. Orion already knew what his biggest fear was. He had faced it in the Chamber of Secrets when his father had been dying of Basilisk poison. He feared losing Sirius.

The wardrobe shook again, snapping Orion out of his thoughts to see Neville standing beside Remus.

"All right, Neville," Remus said encouragingly. "First things first, what would you say is the thing that frightens you most in the world?"

Neville's eyes immediately sought the floor as he mumbled something.

"I didn't quite catch that, Neville," Remus said carefully.

Neville slowly looked up at Remus. "Bellatrix Lestrange," Neville said quietly.

Remus' gaze turned sympathetic. "I can understand that, Neville, I really can. What we need to do now is find a way to make Bellatrix Lestrange less frightening and even humorous. Any ideas?"

Silence filled the room until Orion spoke up. "Make all her hair fall out."

"Make her trip," added Dean.

"Give her a Bat Bogey Hex," Ron offered. Everyone turned to Ron and stared causing Ron's ears to turn pink in embarrassment. "What? That's what my brother Charlie always did to Bill when Bill was picking on him."

"It would be entertaining Ron but I believe keeping things simple is the way to go," Remus offered then turned his attention completely on Neville. "Orion's or Dean's suggestions would work. What you need to do, Neville, is picture what you want to happen to her in your mind's eye, can you do that?"

Neville closed his eyes tightly before cautiously nodding.

"When the Boggart bursts out of this wardrobe, Neville, and sees you, it will assume the form of Bellatrix Lestrange," Remus continued. "And you will raise your wand—thus—and say 'Riddikulus' while concentrating on what you want to happen to her. If it works, Lestrange won't appear to be that frightening." Remus then addressed the rest of the class. "If Neville is successful, the Boggart is likely to shift his attention to each of us in turn. Please take a moment to think of the thing that scares you most, and imagine how you might force it to look comical. Don't worry if you're not successful. If you are having difficulty, I shall step in. Facing your biggest fear is a lot to ask with very little preparation."

The room went quiet as Orion tried to think of a way to make his father dying humorous in some way. _Unless it would be that Dad was faking…or maybe that I prank him…or maybe—_

"Everyone ready?" Remus asked. "Neville we're going to back away. Let you have a clear field, all right? I'll call the next person forward…Everyone back, now, so Neville can get a clear shot—"

Everyone stepped back, leaving Neville alone beside the wardrobe. He looked positively terrified and Orion didn't blame him. Bellatrix Lestrange had caused a lot of pain to the Longbottom family. It was asking a lot of Neville to have to face her with very little preparation.

"On the count of three, Neville," Remus said encouragingly as he pointed his own wand at the handle of the wardrobe. "One—two—three—now!"

A jet of sparks shot from the end of Remus' wand and hit the doorknob causing the wardrobe to burst open. Stepping out was a tall woman with long, think black hair, pale skin, thin lips, and dark, heavy-lidded eyes that seemed to stick out more than possible because of her gaunt, skull-like face. It was Bellatrix Lestrange that had been pictured in the Daily Prophet.

Neville backed away, his wand up, mouthing wordlessly. Lestrange stared menacingly at him as she raised a hand. Raising his wand, Neville squeaked, "R—R—Riddikulus!"

There was a noise like a whip crack. Lestrange stumbled before the floor underneath her turned to ice causing her to slip and slide before losing her footing and falling, landing flat on her back. Laughter filled the room although there was some undeniable tension.

The Boggart paused, confused and Remus shouted, "Parvati! Forward!"

Parvati stepped forward, her face determined. Lestrange rounded on her for only a moment before there was another crack and Lestrange was replaced with a bloodstained, bandaged mummy. Its sightless face turned to Parvati and it started to walk towards her slowly, dragging its feet.

"Riddikulus!" Parvati shouted.

A bandage unraveled at the mummy's feet causing it to become entangled and fall face forward.

"Seamus!" Remus shouted.

Seamus hurried past Parvati.

Crack! The mummy was replaced with a woman with floor-length black hair and a skeletal, green-tinged face. It was a banshee. She opened her mouth and an unearthly wailing shriek filled the room making the hair on Orion's head stand on end.

"Riddikulus!" Seamus shouted and the banshee made a rasping noise before clutching her throat. She had lost her voice.

"Orion!" Remus shouted.

Crack! Just as Orion had predicted, the banshee turned into a pale and bloody Sirius Black. Orion didn't hesitate. He quickly raised his wand and shouted, "Riddikulus!" _Dead_ Sirius instantly found himself hanging upside-down by his ankle.

"Orion Black!" Sirius barked in annoyance but it was almost completely drowned out by the laughter.

Crack! Sirius Black turned into a rat, which chased its tail in a circle, then—crack! The rat became a rattlesnake, which slithered and writhed before—crack! –becoming a single, bloody eyeball.

"It's confused!" Remus shouted. "We're getting there! Dean!"

Dean hurried forward and crack!—the eyeball became a severed hand, which flipped over and began to creep along the floor like a crab. "Riddikulus!" he yelled and the hand was trapped in a mousetrap.

"Excellent!" Remus exclaimed. "Ron, you next!"

Ron jumped forward and crack!—a giant spider, six feet tall and covered in hair appeared causing quite a few people to scream. The spider advanced on Ron, clicking its pincers menacingly. "Riddikulus!" Ron bellowed and the spider's legs vanished causing it to roll over and over. Lavender Brown squealed and ran out of its way and it came to a halt at Hayden's feet. Hayden raised his wand but Remus jumped in front of him.

"Here!" Remus shouted.

Crack! The legless spider vanished and was replaced with a silvery-white orb hanging in the air in front of Remus. Orion bit back a gasp. He knew what it really was. It was the full moon. This was getting dangerous. It was only the first week—

"Riddikulus!" Remus said lazily. Crack! "Neville, finish him off!"

Neville hurried forward and crack! –Lestrange was back. Neville wasted no time. "Riddikulus!" he shouted and Lestrange fell on her back again. Neville let out a triumphant 'Ha!' and the Boggart exploded—bursting into a thousand tiny wisps of smoke before vanishing completely.

"Excellent!" Remus cried as the class broke into applause. "Excellent, Neville. Well don, everyone…Let me see…five points to Gryffindor for every person who tackled the Boggart—ten for Neville because he did it twice and five each to Hermione and Hayden."

"But I didn't do anything," Hayden protested.

"You and Hermione answered my questions correctly at the start of the class, Hayden," Remus said with a smile. "Very well, everyone, an excellent lesson. Homework, kindly read the chapter on Boggarts and summarize it for me…to be handed in on Monday. That will be all."

Everyone filed out of the staffroom in high spirits. Well, everyone but Hayden and Orion knew why. Hayden always believed that he needed to prove himself and Remus had deliberately stepped in front of him. Remus had tried to protect Hayden but Hayden wouldn't see it that way. Hayden would think that Remus believed he was too weak to handle it.

"Did you see me take that banshee?" Seamus shouted.

"And the hand!" Dean said, waving his own around.

"And my mummy!"

"I wonder why Professor Lupin's frightened of crystal balls," Lavender said thoughtfully.

"That was the best Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson we've ever had, wasn't it?" said Ron excitedly as they made their way back to the classroom to get their bags.

"Well we knew Professor Lupin would be a good teacher," Hermione said matter-of-factly. "He's been teaching Orion for years. But I wish I could have had a turn with the Boggart —"

"What would it have been for you?" said Ron, sniggering. "A piece of homework that only got nine out of ten?"

* * *


	6. Halloween Haunts

Chapter 6

Halloween Haunts

For the first time in a long time, no one had any complaint about the Defense Against the Dark Arts class. In fact, many fifth and seventh year students had approached Remus to ask for tutoring in order to prepare for their end-of-year tests. Remus was a firm believer in hands-on learning which made every class an adventure. The third years had moved on from Boggarts and studied RedCaps and Kappas. The third year of Defense focused on the creatures but Remus always made an effort to make class entertaining.

If Defense class was an absolute joy, Potions was an absolute nightmare. Professor Snape had become extremely vindictive after the confrontation with Remus. Orion had a feeling that Professor Dumbledore had found out about it and spoken to both men since they now completely avoided each other. Professor Snape wasn't one to back down from a confrontation, especially if it involved the Marauders.

Orion wasn't ignorant. He was aware that his father had been cruel in his younger years. He was aware that Professor Snape had been signaled out numerous times because he was an easy target: a loner who had no one to come to his defense. Most people would say that boys would be boys but the problem was that Professor Snape never left his childhood in the past. He used it as ammunition against anyone somewhat associated with the Marauders.

In addition to Professor Snape's attitude, the 'incident' in Care of Magical Creatures refused to go away. Lucius Malfoy refused to abide by Professor Dumbledore's decision and had taken the matter to the Ministry. There wasn't much the Ministry could do but there were rumors that Hagrid's job could be on the line. It was enough to completely destroy Hagrid's confidence. The class was now spending lessons learning how to look after flobberworms.

To put it bluntly, it was an extremely boring task.

With the arrival of October came Quidditch. Once again, Oliver Wood, the Captain of the Gryffindor team, insisted on having his 'reserve Seeker' present for all the practices. As much as Orion hated to admit it, Quidditch was one thing he would prefer to do without. Schoolwork had certainly intensified in comparison to previous years. Ancient Runes was certainly an intricate class, requiring a lot of attention and, on top of that, Orion found himself helping Rose with her schoolwork whenever she needed it…

…not that Orion minded and he wasn't alone. Hermione and Neville offered their help to Rose when they could but Hermione's free time was scarce and Neville didn't have the confidence in any subject other than Herbology. It wasn't much but at least Rose knew that she wasn't alone.

Returning from Quidditch practice late one night in mid-October, Orion wanted nothing more than to collapse on his bed but that thought came to an abrupt halt the moment he entered the Gryffindor common room and saw the looks on his friends' faces. All three of them looked like they were torn between excitement and nervousness.

"What happened?" Orion asked cautiously with Hayden by his side.

"The first Hogsmeade weekend was announced," Neville said pointing at a notice that had appeared on the battered old bulletin board. "It's on Halloween."

"Excellent," Fred said as he stepped through the portrait hold. "I need to visit Zonko's. I'm nearly out of Stink Pellets."

Hayden threw himself into a chair beside Ron, sulking slightly. Orion was slightly more mature in his reaction. He didn't like that he would be missing out but perhaps a day with Remus would make up for it.

"You know it's only for your protection, right Hayden?" Hermione asked cautiously.

Hayden let out a sigh. "I know," he muttered. "It's just so unfair."

"You know, we don't have to go," Neville offered, earning surprised looks from Ron and Hermione. "I mean, there will be other Hogsmeade visits."

Orion jumped in before Hayden said something he shouldn't. "That's okay, Neville. You guys go, have fun and bring us back something. I'm sure we'll be able to entertain ourselves…won't we Hayden?"

Hayden caught Orion's look and hastily agreed. Orion opened his mouth to say something but was quickly silenced by the sight of Crookshanks jumping on Hermione's lap with a dead spider dangling from his mouth. Not wanting to see any more, Orion quickly called it a night, glad that he had already completed his schoolwork. He had never particularly liked cats—or their habits. Perhaps it was because he had been surrounded by canines for most of his life—well, a grim-like dog animagus and a werewolf were basically canines…right?

* * *

Hayden was obviously still a little depressed about Hogsmeade the following day. He barely said a word to anyone in Herbology and lagged behind them on the way to Transfiguration. Orion was seriously considering knocking some sense into him to straighten out his priorities. Your life was certainly more important than a few hours in Hogsmeade.

Everyone came to a halt outside the Transfiguration classroom by the sight of Lavender Brown in tears. Parvati had her arm around her while explaining something to Seamus and Dean. From the looks on their faces, it was definitely serious. Orion's heart stopped. Who died?

"What's the matter, Lavender?" Hermione asked anxiously.

"Parvati spoke up. "She got a letter from home this morning. It's her rabbit, Binky. He's been killed by a fox."

Orion relaxed but apparently he was the only one who did.

"Oh," Hermione said softly. "I'm sorry Lavender."

"I should have known!" Lavender cried. "You know what day it is? The sixteenth of October! 'That thing you're dreading, it will happen on the sixteenth of October!' Remember? She was right, she was right!"

Orion barely refrained from rolling his eyes. It didn't need anyone to piece together what Lavender was talking about. This was another one of those Divination things and Lavender was clearly a believer.

"You—you were dreading Binky being killed by a fox?" Hermione asked carefully.

Lavender stared at Hermione with streaming eyes. "Well, not necessarily by a fox but I was obviously dreading him dying, wasn't I?"

"Oh," Hermione answered slowly. "Was Binky an old rabbit?"

"N—no!" Lavender cried causing Parvati to tighten her arm around Lavender's shoulders. "H—he was only a baby!"

Orion could see where this was going and wanted to stop Hermione before—

"But then, why would you dread him dying?" Hermione asked.

—she said something like that.

Hermione ignored the glare Parvati sent shot her. "Well, look at it logically," Hermione said as she turned to the rest of the group. "I mean, Binky didn't even die today, did he? Lavender just got the news today—" Lavender started sobbing loudly –"and she couldn't have been dreading it, because it's come as a real shock—"

"Hermione!" Orion growled as he grabbed her by the arm. "Now isn't the time for a logical debate! Let Lavender grieve in peace."

Hermione glanced over at Lavender and winced as Professor McGonagall opened the classroom door. One by one, they entered the classroom. Glancing over his shoulder, Orion was surprised to see that Hayden was deathly pale. There was no time to question Hayden since Professor McGonagall began class immediately. Lavender was a tearful mess throughout class and Hermione was clearly preoccupied.

As the bell rang at the end of the less, Professor McGonagall spoke up as the class made to leave. "One moment, please! As you're all in my House, you should hand Hogsmeade permission forms to me before Halloween. No form, no visiting the village, so don't forget!"

Hayden scowled at left the classroom at a brisk pace. Orion, Neville, Hermione and Ron could only share a reluctant look. Suddenly, none of them were looking forward to Halloween.

* * *

When Halloween morning finally arrived, Orion, Hayden and Rose joined Neville, Ron and Hermione for breakfast before bidding them farewell in the Entrance Hall where the rest of the Hogsmeade attendees were waiting to be checked off the long list that Filch held in his hand. Well, Orion and Rose bid farewell. Hayden just waved.

Before Hayden could begin complaining, Orion led them up to the third floor and to Remus' office. He knocked on the partially opened door and only had to wait a moment before the door opened completely to reveal Remus looking slightly exhausted but happy.

"Ori, Hayden, Rose!" Remus exclaimed as he stepped aside to let the three Gryffindors in. "This is a surprise. I was only expecting Orion. I take it everyone else has already left for Hogsmeade."

Hayden let out a grunt as he collapsed in the nearest chair.

"Ah," Remus said knowingly. "I see. You know, Hayden, it may be hard to see it now but your parents only want you to be safe. They've seen firsthand what Death Eaters are capable of."

Hayden enfolded his arms across his chest stubbornly. "But who would ever attack Hogsmeade when it's packed with people?" he countered.

Remus let out a sigh. "Someone who wanted to create as much damage as possible, I suppose," he said honestly then turned his attention to Rose. "How about helping me with a Grindylow I just received for Hayden and Orion's next lesson?"

Rose nodded eagerly, following Remus into his office with Orion and Hayden following suit. In the corner stood a very large tank of water and inside it was a sickly green creature with sharp little horns. It had its face pressed against the glass, pulling faces and flexing its long, spindly fingers.

"It's a water demon," Remus said with a smile at Rose's disgusted look. "Not as difficult as the Kappas. The trick with Grindylows is to break their grip. Notice the abnormally long fingers? Strong, but very brittle. Let's cover him up for now." Together, Remus and Rose covered the tank with a large pale sheet. "Cup of tea, anyone?" he asked as he moved over to his desk. "I was just thinking of making some."

Orion and Rose nodded.

Remus pulled out his kettle and tapped it with his wand causing a blast of steam to suddenly issue from the sprout. Carefully, he pulled out four mugs and filled them with steaming water. "Sit down," he said gently. "I've only got teabags, I'm afraid—but I daresay there's been enough commotion with tea leaves, wouldn't you agree?"

"Does everybody know about that?" Hayden asked quietly as he sat down between Orion and Rose.

Remus stared at Hayden compassionately. "I heard about it from Professor McGonagall," he admitted as he sat down behind his desk. "She knew that you spent a part of the summer at Black Manor and figured if you'd talk to anyone, it would be me. I am curious. Which symbol upset you the most? The dog or the Gemini?"

"The Gemini," Rose answered immediately earning an annoyed look from Hayden. "What? I know you, Hayden. You try to hide it but you've been blaming yourself for Harry's death for years."

"If I had just paid more attention to him," Hayden said weakly as his gaze fell. "If I had been more careful—"

In a blink of an eye, Remus was out of his seat and by Hayden's side. "Hayden, nothing you did caused Harry's—death," he said confidently. "It wasn't anyone's fault. It just happened."

"But Dad blamed you, didn't he?" Hayden countered quietly. "That's why you and Sirius stopped coming to see us."

Remus suddenly looked very uncomfortable. "I'm not the one you should be talking to about this—"

"—but I know you'll tell me the truth!" Hayden exclaimed jumping to his feet."Mum and Dad will just say that we'll talk about it when I'm older. I'm thirteen! How much older do I have to be?!?"

Remus let out a sigh before returning to his chair behind his desk. "I won't tell you the entire story, Hayden," he said softly. "That is up to your parents. I will, however, answer your question since both you and Rose deserve to know why Sirius and I were suddenly missing from your lives. Yes, your parents blamed us for what happened to Harry simply because they felt they needed someone to blame at that moment. A few weeks later they tried to apologize but the damage had already been done. Shortly after that your parents left the public spotlight behind and remained behind the wards of Potter Manor. I guess you could say that we were all too stubborn and too prideful—typical Gryffindors. The biggest problem was that you and Rose suffered the most. For my part, I can only apologize."

Hayden shifted his gaze to Orion before sitting back down, his shoulders hunched in resignation. Orion had to admit that Hayden was talking the revelation awfully well but it could have been the way Remus had phrased it. 'Your parents were gits but so were we' was a lot easier to accept than 'your parents hurt us more than you could imagine and couldn't understand why we couldn't forgive them'.

"Well," Remus said at last, "enough of that. Orion, I believe you said you had wanted to discuss something when we talked yesterday."

Orion nodded. "I was wondering if you could maybe tutor me," he said hopefully.

Remus shot Orion a knowing smile. "Really, I actually thought you were doing remarkably well on your class assignments although you are falling behind slightly on your out-of-class assignments. I know how busy you are, Ori. I don't think now is the time to add more work to the load."

"It's only some practical work!" Orion protested. "I've done all the reading. I just need to practice and maybe some help with the spell-casting."

Remus' smile dropped. "Have you tried it on your own?" he asked quickly. Orion shook his head, earning a relieved look from Remus. "Good. Well, I suppose we could arrange something. Am I right to assume that you won't be coming alone to these lessons?"

Orion quickly glanced at Hayden only to receive a confused look in return. "What are you two talking about?" Hayden asked.

"Patronus lessons, Hayden," Remus answered. "I believe we discussed the topic this summer after we found out about the Dementors guarding the school."

Hayden's eyes widened as he shifted his gaze from Remus to Orion and back to Remus again. "But I thought you said it was too difficult for us."

"I did," Remus said simply. "I still believe so but Orion can be as stubborn as his father sometimes. I'm willing to supervise his attempts and yours if you want to give it a go."

"Can I?" Rose asked hopefully.

Remus smiled as he took a sip of tea. "This Charm is very advanced, even for Orion and Hayden, Rose," he said gently. "Adult witches and wizards struggle with this Charm. You may come and watch, if you wish, but I don't think you're ready yet to try to actually cast it."

Rose enfolded her arms across her chest and scowled, looking remarkably like Hayden did only a few minutes ago.

"Er—Remus—I mean, Professor," Hayden said uncomfortably.

"You can call me Remus in private, Hayden," Remus offered.

"Er—right—Remus—I was wondering—you know the day we fought the Boggart?" Hayden asked.

"Yes," Remus said slowly.

"Why didn't you let me fight it?" Hayden asked quickly.

Remus stared at Hayden for a moment before answering. "I would have thought that was obvious," he said seriously. "I assumed that if the Boggart faced you, it would assume the shape of either Lord Voldemort or Harry. If it was the former, I didn't this it was a good idea for Lord Voldemort to materialize in the staffroom and the latter—well, I wanted to spare you that."

Hayden's gaze fell again. "I didn't think of Voldemort," he said honestly. "I was thinking about the Dementor on the train and being trapped with nothing but the high pitched laughter."

"I see," Remus said thoughtfully. "So am I correct to gather that you fear feeling helpless?"

Hayden hesitated for a moment before nodding. "I was supposed to protect Rose but Orion had to do it," he admitted. "The Dementors didn't affect him at all."

"Ah—well, that's not necessarily true, Hayden," Remus said uncomfortably. "No one can completely counter the effects of a Dementor—even with the Patronus charm as their guide. Orion wasn't as susceptible as you because he hasn't faced the horrors you have and because of his Occlumency training." At Hayden and Rose's confused looks, he continued. "It's a mental defense that not many are able to master completely. Most pure-blood families test their child at an early age. If the child shows aptitude, they are trained before more complex thoughts and hormones develop."

"So, Dad probably tested us?" Rose asked curiously.

Remus shrugged his shoulders helplessly. "I honestly don't know. I know that James was never trained and he's never had any love for pure-blood customs." A knock on the door put a quick halt to the conversation. "Come in!" Remus called.

The door opened to reveal Professor Snape. He was carrying a goblet, which was smoking faintly. No one said a word as Professor Snape entered only to stop abruptly at the sight of Orion, Hayden and Rose.

"Ah, Severus," Remus said with a smile. "Thanks very much. Could you leave it here on the desk for me?"

Professor Snape slowly approached and set the smoking goblet down, his eyes slowly wandering between Orion, Hayden and Rose.

"We were just discussing some Pure-blood customs," Remus said pleasantly. "Perhaps you could help us. Why is it that some people just never develop the talent for Occlumency?"

Professor Snape stared at Remus in surprise. "Rather advanced topic for children so young, Lupin," he said. "You should drink that directly."

"Yes, yes, I will," Remus said, grasping the goblet. "Hayden was questioning why the Dementors affected him more than Orion. I suggested that it was partially due to Orion's Occlumency training."

Professor Snape hesitated for only a moment. "It's a possibility," he admitted. "Occlumency does guard the mind against external penetration—which could serve as a shield from a Dementor's ability to extract 'pleasant memories'. Of course, the only way to really know would be to have Black face a Dementor and lower his shields—"

"—which won't happen," Remus interrupted. "Thank you, Severus. It was just a theory."

Professor Snape stared at Remus before speaking. "I made an entire cauldron-full, if you need more."

"I should probably have some again tomorrow," Remus said. "Thanks again, Severus."

Professor Snape didn't answer. He simply turned and left the room. Orion couldn't keep the look of disgust off his face. He knew what the potion was and how awful it tasted. Remus had never hidden that fact from him.

Remus smiled at Hayden and Rose. "Professor Snape has very kindly concocted a potion for me," he said. "I have never been very much of a potion-brewer and this one is particularly complex." He picked up the goblet and sniffed it. "Pity sugar makes it useless."

"But why—"

"I've been feeling a bit off-color, Hayden," Remus said gently then took a sip from the goblet. "This potion is the only thing that helps. I am very lucky to be working alongside Professor Snape; there aren't many wizards who are up to making it."

That was an understatement. The Wolfsbane Potion was probably the most complicated potion Orion had ever seen and it needed to be completely perfectly to work.

"But—how can you be sure?" Hayden asked as Remus took another sip. "Some people reckon he'd do anything to get the Defense Against the Dark Arts job."

Remus drained the goblet and pulled a face as he shuddered. "Disgusting," he said. "Now, Hayden, you don't have anything to worry about. Severus may want my job but it is Professor Dumbledore that does the appointing. Well, I should get back to work and I believe you three have some schoolwork to finish, isn't that right?"

Orion, Hayden and Rose stood and set down their empty teacups. Bidding farewell, Rose and Hayden left the room. Orion, however, hesitated.

"Something on your mind, Ori?" Remus asked gently.

Orion bit his lower lip nervously. "I thought you were going to tell them the truth," he said softly. "You said—"

"—yes, I did," Remus interrupted. "I know they can be trusted, Ori, but—after what we just talked about—do you really believe that telling them about my condition would be wise? Hayden has enough on his mind at the moment. I'll tell them when the time is right."

Orion couldn't argue with that. "I just don't want them to find out the wrong way," he admitted. "Hayden really trusts you, Moony."

"I know, Shadow," Remus said thoughtfully. "A part of me is grateful but another is more than a little concerned. He should have more faith in his parents."

"How can you have faith in someone who doesn't trust you?" Orion countered.

Remus had no response to that.

* * *

"There you go," Ron said as he dumped some brilliantly colored sweets into Hayden's lap. "We got as much as we could carry."

The sun had just started to set when Neville, Hermione and Ron returned—pink-faced from the cold wind but looking like they'd had the time of their lives.

"Thanks," Hayden said as he picked up a packet of tiny Black Pepper Imps. "What was Hogsmeade like? Where did you go?"

Neville, Hermione and Ron all began speaking at once, making it difficult to pick up everything they were saying. From what Orion could decipher, they had hit Dervish and Banges, Zonko's Joke Shop, the Three Broomsticks, the post office, and Honeydukes.

"What did you two do?" Hermione finally asked. "Did you get any work done?"

Hayden let out a sigh. "Yes, Hermione," he said in a bored tone. "We got Transfiguration and Potions done. Oh, and we had a cup of tea with Remus this morning."

Hermione leaned forward eagerly. "Really? What did he have to say?" she asked.

Hayden shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. "Just stuff," he said, "but then Snape came in with a goblet of strange stuff and Remus actually drank it! No questions asked!"

"Lupin drank it?" Ron gasped. "Is he mad?"

"No, he's not," Orion answered quickly. "He's not feeling well and needs the potion. Just let it go."

An uncomfortable silence fell between them until Hermione spoke up. "We'd better go down, you know, the feast'll be starting in five minutes."

They hurried through the portrait hole and into the crowd, Orion and Neville hanging slightly behind. "Did Snape make any more comments?" Neville whispered.

Orion shook his head. "I could tell he wanted to, especially when he saw Rose," he whispered back. "He's never hidden his dislike for Hayden but Rose—well, Rose insists that he's not that bad."

"Not that bad?" Neville asked in shock. "Snape hates all Gryffindors!"

Orion shrugged helplessly. "I don't understand it myself," he admitted. "Anyway, I know Professor Snape doesn't approve of Remus being here with his condition but it was Grandad's decision. Professor Snape respects Grandad too much to openly defy him."

"So Remus' secret is safe, right?" Neville asked hopefully.

"But Hayden," Hermione spoke up before dropping her voice and glancing nervously around, "if he was trying to poison Professor Lupin—he wouldn't have done it in front of you, Orion _and_ Rose."

"Maybe," Hayden grumbled as they reached the Entrance Hall and crossed into the Great Hall. "I just don't trust him."

The Great hall had been decorated with hundreds of candle-filled pumpkins, a cloud of fluttering live bats, and man flaming orange streamers, which were swimming lazily across the stormy ceiling like brilliant watersnakes. The food was delicious. Everyone seemed to be enjoying the feast, even Remus regardless of the upcoming full moon.

The feast ended with entertainment provided by the Hogwarts ghosts, popping out of walls and tables to do some formation gliding. Nearly Headless Nick even reenacted his own botched beheading but soon enough it was time for bed. Students dispersed to their Towers, Orion and Neville following Hayden, Ron and Hermione and the rest of the Gryffindors along the normal path to the Gryffindor Tower.

Orion wanted nothing more than to call it a night however there seemed to be some congestion at the portrait of the Fat Lady. He tried to peak over the crowd but couldn't make out what the problem was.

"Why isn't anyone going on?" Ron asked as he also tried to catch a glimpse of the portrait.

"Let me through, please," Percy announced, pushing his way through the crowd. "What's the holdup here? You can't all have forgotten the password—excuse me, I'm Head Boy—" There was a short silence and then, "Somebody get Professor Dumbledore. Quick!"

"What's going on?" Ginny asked as she arrived beside Neville.

"Hayden?" Rose asked as she joined them. "What's going on?"

Hayden quickly turned and grabbed Rose's arm. "I don't know," he said quietly. "Stay here, all right?"

Rose nodded nervously and remained by Hayden's side just as Professor Dumbledore arrived, sweeping toward the portrait. Everyone squeezed together to let him through while Orion carefully moved closer to see what the trouble was. He didn't need to move far. The Fat Lady was absent from her portrait, which had been slashed viciously. Stripes of canvas littered the floor and parts had been torn away completely.

Professor Dumbledore turned around, his eyes meeting Orion's. Orion knew that look and instantly paled. No. It couldn't—it wasn't possible.

"We need to find her," Professor Dumbledore said at last. "Professor McGonagall, please go to Mr. Filch at once and tell him to search every painting in the castle for the Fat Lady."

Glancing over his shoulder, Orion noticed that Professors McGonagall and Snape had arrived along with Remus.

"You'll be lucky!" Peeves said in a cackle, announcing his presence. He was bobbing over the crowd, looking positively delighted at the chaos below him.

"What do you mean, Peeves?" Professor Dumbledore asked calmly.

Peeves' grin faded slightly. "Ashamed, Your Headship, sir," he said in an oily voice. "Doesn't want to be seen. She's a horrible mess. Saw her running through the landscape up on the fourth floor, sir, dodging between the trees. Crying something dreadful. Poor thing." There was no sympathy in his voice whatsoever.

"Did she say who did it?" Professor Dumbledore asked quietly.

"Oh yes, Professorhead," Peeves said eagerly. "She's got very angry when she wouldn't let her in, you see." Peeves flipped over and grinned at Dumbledore from between his own legs. "Nasty temper she's got, that Bellatrix Black."

* * *


	7. Horrific Attack

* * *

Chapter 7

Horrific Attack

"No!" Orion said in a horrified whisper as he stumbled backwards. "No, she's not here, she can't be!"

Arms wrapped around him, reminding him that he wasn't alone. Orion didn't have to look back to see who it was. Remus was the only person at Hogwarts who knew how Orion really felt about his 'family'. After all, Sirius never lied to Orion…including how evil Sirius' cousin really was. The thought of what Bellatrix Lestrange could do inside the walls of Hogwarts with so many children at her disposal…

"Headmaster," Remus spoke up, "with your permission, I would like to take Orion, Hayden, Rose and Neville to a secure location. I should also contact Sirius—"

"Of course," Professor Dumbledore said before shifting his gaze to the rest of the crowd. "Students, please return to the Great Hall. The castle needs to be searched. We will make sure you are completely safe while this happens. Now, off you go."

Remus turned ushered Orion, Neville, Hayden and Rose away only to be stopped by Ron and Hermione.

"Please, sir," Hermione begged quickly. "Let us come with you. We won't be any trouble, I promise."

Remus glanced over his shoulder at Professor Dumbledore for a moment before returning his attention to Hermione. "All right but you must follow my direction, no matter if you agree with it or not, understand?"

Ron, Hermione and Ginny nodded. Not a word was said as they walked to Remus' quarters. Chatter could be heard, echoing through the halls from the students but they saw no one. As soon as they entered, Remus quickly doubled checked all the rooms before moving to the fireplace and grabbing a small mirror off the mantle.

"Sirius Black," Remus said to the mirror.

There was a moment of silence before a familiar voice answered back. "Remus, now isn't—"

"—there's been a breech, Sirius," Remus interrupted. "Lestrange has been spotted—inside Hogwarts."

Sirius cursed, earning a gasp from Hermione. "Ori—"

"—is fine," Remus said quickly. "He's here with Neville, Hayden and Rose. I'll open the floo for a few minutes so your team can come through."

"We'll be coming through in two minutes," Sirius said. "Lock everything."

Remus rolled his eyes before putting the mirror back on the mantle. He then focused on the seven Gryffindors. "Do you all have your wands?" he asked and watched as they all pulled out their wand. "Good. Keep them handy. No one can enter without a password. I'm going to modify the spare quarters so you all can fit."

Orion bit his lower lip as Remus left the Common Room. He nearly jumped when a small hand grasped his. Turning his head, Orion smiled at Rose and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. He knew he was stronger than this but it was hard. The stories of 'Cousin Bella' had actually given Orion nightmares when he had been younger. _But I'm not that little boy anymore. I can defend myself. _

The fireplace roared to life just as Remus returned. The Gryffindors quickly backed away while Remus rushed forward. That was really the only warning the Gryffindors had before several figures stepped through, several of them rushing towards Orion, Neville, Hayden and Rose. Feeling familiar arms wrap around him and hold on tight seemed to be all it took for all of the anxiety and fear Orion was feeling to wash away. He was safe now. Sirius was here.

"The rest of the students are being secured in the Great Hall," Remus said quickly. "I told Dumbledore that I would contact you. I figured you wanted to supervise the search."

Sirius' response was to drop to one knee in front of Orion. "I need you to be strong, kiddo," he said seriously as he met Orion's gaze. "No more being afraid of her. Remember what I've told you. She's expecting you to be _nothing more than a normal child_. We both knew that's not true, right?"

Orion inhaled deeply and nodded. Sirius was right. At the moment, he had the advantage over Bellatrix Lestrange and he needed to focus on that. Glancing around, Orion noticed just how many people had arrived. Sirius' entire team was there as well as Mrs. Longbottom and Mrs. Potter.

"I modified the spare room so the children can stay there for the night," Remus continued. "I can stay with them—"

"—we'll need you with us, Remus," Sirius interrupted as he stood. "You know the castle better than almost anyone. We'll have to split up into teams. James and Frank can start with the Gryffindor Tower and work their way down, Remus and Kingsley can search the grounds, and Evelyn and I will start on the ground level and work our way up." Sirius hesitated as his eyes rested on Mrs. Potter and Mrs. Longbottom. "We need you two—"

"—don't worry about it, Sirius," Mrs. Longbottom spoke up. "We'll take care of them."

Sirius gave Orion's shoulder a reassuring squeeze before leading the way out of the room. Remus repeated the gesture as he passed. Not a word was said as Sirius' team left the room and Mrs. Longbottom locked the secured the entrance while Mrs. Potter secured the fireplace.

With a flick of her wand, Mrs. Longbottom transfigured their clothes into pajamas. "I think you seven should head to bed," she said as she pocketed her wand in her robes. "We'll keep watch out here."

"But Mum," Neville protested.

"Bed, Neville," Mrs. Longbottom insisted. "Now!"

Orion and Neville led the way scurrying into the spare bedroom where they noticed three sets of bunk beds lined up and a single bed across from them, placed against the wall to allow enough walking room. Rose and Ginny went to the far set of bunk beds, Hayden and Ron selected the middle set and Hermione collapsed on the single bed, leaving Orion and Neville to pick the beds closest to the door.

"Do you think she's still in the castle?" Hermione whispered anxiously as she slid under the covers.

"Dumbledore obviously things she might be," Ron answered as he climbed up to the top bunk. "I'm not too sure about Mr. Black though. Why would he have Professor Lupin check the grounds?"

Orion let out a sigh as he slid underneath his own covers of the bottom bunk while Neville climbed up to the top bunk. "In case she already escaped," he said. "Remus and Kingsley are the best trackers of the team. If she's gone, they'll be able to find out which way she went."

"It's very lucky she picked tonight, you know," Hermione added. "The one night we weren't in the tower…"

"Unless she wanted to hide out until we came back and grab—er—whoever she wanted," Neville countered. "Lestrange may be insane but she isn't stupid. There has to be a reason why she picked tonight of all nights."

"But trying to get into the Gryffindor Tower?" Hayden asked. "How could she ever think to get in without the password?"

"How did she get into the castle in the first place?" Rose asked softly from the far bottom bunk.

"Probably one of the secret passages," Orion offered. "Maybe one of the wards failed."

"But wouldn't Professor Dumbledore know if that happened?" Hermione asked quickly. "Something's not right about this. Why would she come here of all places? From what I've read she was one of You-Know-Who's most dangerous and most devoted. Wouldn't she go looking for him?"

An uncomfortable silence fell until Orion spoke up. "Unless she believed that someone here knew where he was. Hayden and I _were_ the last to actually see Voldemort in some sort of form."

Nothing else was said although it was obvious that no one was eager to go to bed. Orion tried to listen to the faint chatter between Mrs. Longbottom and Mrs. Potter but they seemed to have anticipated the possibility by lowering their voices to a volume that no human could ever pick up. _Too bad Shadow can't make an appearance._

Before Orion knew it, the sound of the portrait entrance opening startled him awake. Not a sound was made although Orion knew that he wasn't the only one who had woken up. The sound of nervous breathing was unmistakable.

"Any news, James?" the voice of Mrs. Potter asked quietly.

"Nothing," Mr. Potter answered tiredly. "We've searched every possible passageway and shortcut. There's no sign of her. Remus picked up her trail by the forest. Dumbledore's declaring that she has escaped."

"But you don't believe that?" Mrs. Longbottom concluded.

A sigh could be heard before Mr. Potter answered. "It just doesn't make any sense," he admitted. "Why would she come here tonight of all nights? Why the Gryffindor Tower? Everyone who's ever attended Hogwarts knows how difficult it is to sneak into a dormitory without a password."

"Difficult but not impossible," Mrs. Longbottom concluded. "Was the Fat Lady found?"

"Hiding in a map of Argyllshire on the second floor," Mr. Potter said through his teeth. "Sirius found her. It took her some time to calm down but when she did…I've never seen Sirius so furious."

"Why?" Mrs. Potter asked immediately. "What did she say?"

There was a moment of silence before the sound of fabric moving had reached their ears. Apparently, Mr. Potter just sat down. "The Fat Lady said that Bellatrix was in a frenzy," he said quietly. "She kept repeating 'he will be mine' over and over again. Sirius thinks—well—he believes Orion was the target."

"What?" Mrs. Potter gasped in horror. "But Ori—"

"—Bellatrix has always wanted a son to present to Voldemort," Mr. Potter growled. "With the state that Voldemort is currently in, there's no doubt that some sort of dark magic will be needed to make him—well—human again—"

"—and dark magic normally calls for a sacrifice," Mrs. Longbottom concluded. "Do you have any proof or is this just Sirius making theories?"

A snort could be heard. "If we had any actual proof Orion would be pulled out of Hogwarts already," Mr. Potter said matter-of-factly. "Sirius is currently at the Ministry giving his report. I think he may be requesting that one of us stay at Hogwarts at all times."

"What does Dumbledore say?" Mrs. Potter asked.

Another snort. "Dumbledore's not going to say anything against Sirius," Mr. Potter said dryly. "I think he'd prefer a team of Aurors were here rather than the Dementors and I agree. A school filled with teenagers is the last place to put Dementors. I'm surprised they've stayed away this long."

"James—"

"—trust me, Lily," Mr. Potter interrupted. "No good will come from bringing those—_things_—here."

There was a knock before the portrait entrance opened and closed again. "I figured you'd be here already, James," Remus said softly as footsteps could be heard approaching the spare bedroom. "Any problems with the children?"

"I think Hayden and Ron were the last to fall asleep just over an hour ago," Mrs. Potter answered. "Orion was actually asleep before I first checked on them."

"Well, he has had a busy night," Remus admitted. "I swear I'm going to hex Sirius the next time I see him. I knew the stories he told Orion when he was younger would come back and bite us."

"You can't blame him, Remus," Mrs. Longbottom said compassionately. "Orion didn't understand the Black family. Sirius was just honest with him."

"At six years old?" Remus countered. "There are better ways to tell a child that your relatives are homicidal maniacs."

"Really?" Mrs. Longbottom shot back. "Find one."

Silence filled the room before a loud sigh was heard. "I suppose you have a point," Remus admitted. "I just hated seeing Orion like that tonight."

Orion gripped his bedcovers tightly, forcing himself to remain still. How was he supposed to react, especially in light of what Mr. Potter just revealed? _Remember, she's expecting a normal child. I'm not normal. Dad and Moony worked hard to make sure I could defend myself—and I will no matter what!_

"Are the rest of the students all right?" Mrs. Potter asked after a moment of silence.

"They're staying the Great Hall tonight," Remus said with a sigh. "That's why I was late. I went to check on them and ran into Cedric. I swear I thought that boy was going to have a panic attack. Evidently there was about to be a revolt since no one wanted to reveal where Orion was."

"Hufflepuffs?" Mrs. Potter asked in confusion.

"I hope you managed to put an end to it, Remus," Mrs. Longbottom said with a hint of amusement in her voice. "I know firsthand how far that boy will go to keep his 'little brother' safe."

"Alice, that happened when Cedric was eleven," Remus said in annoyance. "You can't blame him—"

"—I don't," Mrs. Longbottom said quickly. "I thought it was sweet. Do you know how much fuss that boy must've made to have Dumbledore contact me in the middle of the night? Cedric's always looked out for Orion. I would think that you'd appreciate that more than anything this year."

"Oh, I do," Remus said seriously. "It helps having a Prefect looking out for him. I just hope Cedric doesn't get too overprotective with what's happened."

"I suppose that depends on what Fudge and Scrimgeour decide," Mr. Potter offered. "I'm almost determined to go to the Ministry myself. If she got in here once—"

"—what if I stay here?" Mrs. Potter offered. "I could be an assistant for Filius, Minerva or even Remus."

"Lily—"

"—I would be more of a help here, James," Mrs. Potter insisted. "We've done all the research we can on Peter and Bellatrix. Plus, if I can be near the children—"

"—Lily, no teenager wants a parent hovering over them and you have to be completely impartial," Remus interrupted. "You have no idea how difficult it is for me to not favor Orion, Hayden, Neville, and Rose in class."

Silence filled the air for a long time but no one in the spare room moved. Orion knew that the entire room was listening to the conversation and was surprised that Remus hadn't picked up on it. _Unless he has and is allowing us to hear._ Orion couldn't imagine that. Remus normally had no problem being open with Orion but was more reserved when it came to other people's children. That was one of the reasons he was so hesitant to reveal too much to Hayden and Rose about the past.

Orion let out a sigh and rolled over, burying his face in his pillow. He hated that everything was so complicated. Deep down, Orion knew that both families needed to sit down and just get everything out so there would be no more secrets but a part of him was afraid of what might be revealed. It wasn't that he thought his father had lied to him. It was just that there was so much that was never said.

_Why can't anything just be normal?_

* * *

For the next few days, the break-in of Bellatrix Lestrange was the talk of the school. Orion had become an instant celebrity when word got around that Peeves had called her a Black. Everyone wanted to know what Orion knew about his relative even though she had been imprisoned before he was adopted. In the end, Orion got so frustrated that he snapped at a group of second year Ravenclaws that they should go ask Bellatrix's nephew, Draco Malfoy.

To add to the stress, Professor Dumbledore approved the appointment of Lily Potter as assistant professor to Professor Flitwick and the presence of Aurors patrolling Hogwarts. There would be three Aurors at all times with the leader being a member of Sirius' team. From what Orion understood, that fact caused quite a few problems at the Ministry. No one was questioning Sirius. He was, after all, one of the most decorated Aurors on active duty. Some of Sirius' team members, however, weren't as admired—such as James Potter and Evelyn Smith.

To be honest, Orion had expected it sooner. Evelyn was fairly young and the fact that she previously dated Sirius was a strong strike against her. Those who knew Sirius knew that he didn't favor anyone when it came to his job; however, there were plenty who didn't. James Potter's position, which was encouraged a few months ago, was now questioned because many believed that James Potter had no right ordering _actual_ Aurors around.

Needless to say, it was just more stress that Sirius didn't need at the moment.

The Fat Lady's ripped canvas had been removed from the wall and replaced with a portrait of Sir Cadogan and his fat gray pony from the seventh floor. It wasn't a welcomed change but there wasn't really much of a choice until the Fat Lady's portrait was restored. The worst part of it was when Sir Cadogan kept changing the password at least twice a day.

"He's a complete lunatic," Seamus complained angrily to Percy. "Can't we get anyone else?"

"None of the other pictures wanted the job," Percy said with a resigned sigh. "They're all frightened of what happened to the Fat Lady. Sir Cadogan was the only one brave enough to volunteer."

"Or crazy enough," Neville muttered which earned an uncomfortable laugh from everyone that heard him.

In addition to the Sir Cadogan situation, Orion also suddenly found that he had a slew of students who took it upon themselves to walk along with him wherever he went—especially Cedric. It seemed that the Gryffindors and the Hufflepuffs worked out a schedule to ensure that Orion always had protection. There was even talk of Orion possibly being moved into the Hufflepuff third year dormitory for the time being. That may work to protect Orion but what about everyone else?

As if that all wasn't enough to make someone's head spin, Orion also had to worry about helping prepare Hayden for the upcoming Quidditch match on Saturday—with Madam Hooch serving as his supervisor. Hayden had tried to convince Oliver that Orion's presence wasn't necessary but Oliver wouldn't have it.

"If you can win against Orion you can win against any Seeker any team here can throw at you," Oliver had told Hayden.

As the weather grew worse and worse, Orion had to wonder if there was any point to practicing. After all, they couldn't see anything anyways.

On the final training session before the match, Oliver arrived to the changing room late looking like his best friend had just died. "We're not playing Slytherin!" he said angrily. "Flint's just been to see me. We're playing Hyfflepuff instead."

"What?" Hayden was the first to ask. "Why?"

Oliver let out a sigh as he ran his fingers through his hair. "Apparently, their Seeker won't be at Hogwarts," he said, grinding his teeth furiously. "He'll be at the Ministry giving a deposition on the 'Hippogriff attack'."

Orion let out a snort. "That's ridiculous," he said. "Depositions can be rescheduled within twenty-four hours. They just don't want to play in this weather."

"I agree," Oliver said as he sat down and stared at Orion. "There's one more thing. We have to play against Diggory, Orion. He's Hufflepuff's new Seeker and Captain."

Orion stared at Oliver in shock. Cedric had never mentioned—"When did this happen?" he asked cautiously.

Oliver glanced at the rest of the Gryffindor team. "Halloween," he said uncomfortably. "Diggory was going to tell you but then the break-in happened and…"

Orion didn't listen to any more. Turning, he ran out of the changing room and to the castle as fast as he could with the intense winds and whipping rain. He ignored the shouts of his teammates trying to call him back and focused on his destination. Deep down, Orion didn't care that they were playing Hufflepuff. It didn't upset him that they would be playing against Cedric. What upset him was the fact that Cedric hadn't told him something important because he had been worried about Orion. That wasn't what brothers did…right?

By the time Orion reached the school, he was cold, wet and exhausted but he was determined to find Cedric. He had no idea where Cedric was but figured it was best to start where he could find someone who likely knew where Cedric was so he hurried off to the entrance to the Hufflepuff dorms by the kitchens. His run had slowed to an exhausted jog but it was still fast enough for him to run right into someone as he turned the final corner.

"Oomph!" a deep voice exclaimed as Orion fell back to the floor. "Orion! Where's the fire?"

Looking up, Orion realized that he had run into Herbert Fleet, the Keeper for the Hufflepuff Quidditch Team. "Cedric," Orion said breathlessly. "Where's Cedric?"

Herbert stared at Orion for a moment before his eyes widened in realization. "Oh! Er—he's in the Common Room," he said nervously. "I—I'll just go get him. Hold on."

Orion slowly stood up and glanced around. Luckily the hall was empty so no one saw what had just happened but it was still before curfew so the chances that the hall would remain empty was slim to none. _I need to calm down. I need to start thinking before—_

"Ori?" Cedric's voice interrupted Orion's thoughts. "Orion, what's wrong? Where's Wood? He said that practice would last for at least another hour!"

"Why didn't you tell me?" Orion shot back. "Why did I have to find out from Oliver?"

Cedric's look of concern shifted to one of guilt. "Oh, you found out then," he said softly as he slowly approached. "Well, I wanted to tell you, Ori, but you had enough on your mind. I figured I'd tell you after the game but then we found out about the change this afternoon and—well—I'm sorry, Ori."

Orion stared at Cedric for a long moment before his gaze fell to the floor. "I just—it's bad enough you have to look out for me," he said in a resigned voice. "Now you can't even tell me when something you've been waiting four years for happens."

Cedric let out a sigh as he wrapped an arm around Orion's shoulders. "I should have told you, Ori," he admitted. "I'm sorry. I just know it was something we joked about before you were sorted. We talked about us either playing against each other or even on the same team. Things haven't exactly worked out the way we planned, have they, little brother?"

Orion had to agree. So far, his years at Hogwarts hadn't turned out like he had thought they would. Hopes of excitement and learning had been replaced by death defying adventures that were truly a matter of life and death.

"Come on," Cedric said softly as he ushered Orion towards the staircases. "Let's get you back to Gryffindor Tower so you can get out of these wet clothes. Were you still planning on visiting Professor Lupin before curfew?"

Orion nodded as he looked out at the storm raging grounds. There would be no viewing of the first stage of the full moon tonight. Of course, that didn't stop the pain that Remus was bound to endure. Orion had never been allowed to witness a transformation but had been told that the pain was excruciating. _Maybe Remus'll let me stay…_

Reaching the portrait of Sir Cadogan, Orion opened his mouth to say the latest insane password when a strict voice echoed throughout the hall. "Orion Black!" Professor McGonagall said as she hurried towards them. "I have just been visited by the entire Gryffindor Quidditch Team! What were you thinking leaving—"

"—it was my fault, Professor," Cedric offered. "There was a misunderstanding—"

"—Mr. Diggory!" Professor McGonagall scolded. "Mr. Black knows the rules!" Cedric flushed in embarrassment as Professor McGonagall focused completely on Orion. "Professor Lupin has asked me to pass on that you are to remain in the Gryffindor Tower for the rest of the night—"

"—but—"

"—regardless of any foolish thoughts to trying to visit him," Professor McGonagall finished sternly.

Orion could only let out a resigned sigh. _They just want to keep you safe and I have to remember that. There will be plenty more full moons for Moony and Shadow…and maybe Padfoot too once Bellatrix is caught. _"I'm sorry Professor," Orion said at last. "I didn't mean to cause so much trouble."

Professor McGonagall's face softened slightly. "I know the new restrictions may be a little—suffocating, Mr. Black," she said sympathetically. "Just give it time." And with that, Professor McGonagall turned and walked away.

Orion's shoulders slumped as he turned to face Cedric. "I'm really sorry Cedric," he said softly. "I don't know what's wrong with me."

Cedric let out a snort. "Ori, welcome to the life of a teenager," he said dryly. "Look, for the first time, you're helpless and it's making you crazy. Truthfully, Ori, you're actually acting like any caged animal would."

It was Orion's turn to snort. If only Cedric knew. "Thanks for the analogy," Orion said with a grin. "I'll try to control the urges in the future."

Cedric returned the grin and patted Orion on the shoulder. "I'll see you in the morning, all right?"

Orion nodded and bid farewell before telling Sir Cadogan the password. With a final wave, Orion vanished into the Gryffindor Tower knowing that at least someone understood him and his quirks…well…somewhat.

* * *

On the day before the match, the Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs were dreading the upcoming match. The winds were now howling loudly and rain thrashed against windows. Even with the extra torches and lanterns lit, students had to cast the _lumos_ spell just to see in the corridors. They Slytherin team was certainly looking smug about their 'misfortune' which made Orion furious. He couldn't believe that Professor Dumbledore was allowing it to happen. The Hufflepuffs didn't deserve to be put in the middle like this.

"Well, look at this way," Hermione offered as they entered the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. "With weather like this there's no way Lestrange would try to get into the castle again. She's got to be somewhere waiting it out."

"Mum!" Hayden cried in shock.

Sure enough, standing in front of the teacher's desk was Mrs. Potter.

"Hayden," Mrs. Potter warned gently. "In class it's Professor Potter."

Hayden just stared. "Er—right, but—I thought you were helping Professor Flitwick," he said in confusion.

Mrs. Potter smiled. "Well, Professor Lupin isn't feeling well today so I told him I'd cover his classes," she said as her gaze shifted to Orion.

Swallowing nervously, Orion avoided her gaze and hurried over to his usual seat with Neville following suit. Orion could feel Neville's nervous stare and knew what his best friend was wondering. Sure, things were better with the Potter parents but it was still a work-in-progress. This was moving too fast. Orion had to fight the 'flight instinct' that was currently growing inside. He wouldn't run away from her.

Class seemed to last forever. At times, Orion was certain that time was moving backwards but he never let it show. To everyone—well, except Neville perhaps—Orion appeared to be nothing more than an normal student taking notes as Mrs. Potter lectured on Hinkypunks. All in all, Mrs. Potter was a good teacher. She tried to keep the class interested and involved in the lecture.

But she wasn't Remus

When the bell rang, Orion was the first to start packing his things only to have Mrs. Potter hold him back. _Now what?_ As soon as the class emptied, Orion braced himself for the inevitable.

"Orion," Mrs. Potter said with a reassuring smile. "I was wondering how you were doing. I understand that you've had a rough week."

Orion stared at Mrs. Potter incredulously. Was she serious? Did she honestly expect him to talk to _her_ of all people? "Professor, is there something related to class that you wish to ask me?" he asked tensely.

Mrs. Potter stared Orion in surprise before her shoulders sagged slightly and a look of disappointment appeared on her face. "No, Orion," she said softly. "I just thought that if you needed someone to talk to—well—I'm here to help, Orion."

Orion bit back the urge to say something that he knew he would regret later. _Settle down, Shadow. There's no need to attack._ "I'm fine, Professor Potter," he said as calmly as he could manage. "Now, may I go? I'm sure people are waiting for me."

Mrs. Potter sighed and dismissed him. Orion hurried out of the room, not in the least surprised to see Cedric and Neville waiting for him. Orion was relieved. Both Cedric and Neville knew to not question what just happened, only distract Orion from dwelling on it. At that moment, Orion thanked Merlin for Cedric and Neville. He wouldn't trade them for anything in the world.

* * *

When the following day arrived, no one was surprised that the weather remained unchained. Disappointed, yes, but not surprised. There was an air of resignation centered on the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tables as everyone ate breakfast. Orion and Hermione took the opportunity to charm Hayden's glasses so they repelled water although Hayden insisted it wouldn't do much good. Well, there was always hope, right?

The Gryffindor team left first followed by the Hufflepuffs. The only thing Orion was grateful for was the lack of Draco's snide comments since he had already left for the Ministry. _Thank Merlin for small favors._ Glancing up at the Head Table, Orion stared at Professor Dumbledore who looked frustrated and tired. Orion could only imagine what Professor Dumbledore was going through. _First Hagrid and now the break-in. Lucius Malfoy must be having a field day._

At the last possible moment, Orion, Neville, Ron and Hermione braved the weather to hurry to the Quidditch pitch dressed as warmly as they could manage. Orion had his scarf wrapped so tightly around his neck and most of his head that it would be impossible to hear anything. As they found their normal spot in the stands, both teams were staggering out onto the field. Squinting, Orion could make out Cedric in his Hufflepuff canary-yellow robes meeting Oliver in the middle of the stadium to shake hands before they all mounted their brooms and took off.

It was like watching a game with ear plugs in his ears and with very dirty sunglasses on. Occasionally, Orion was able to make out a player flying by but he couldn't find Cedric or Hayden until Hayden was nearly hit but a Bludger. Once that happened, Orion focused on Hayden and only Hayden, hoping against hope that Hayden would spot the Snitch soon.

As both teams struggled, the sky somehow got darker than it was already. There was a sudden flash of light causing many to scream followed by the sound of Madam Hooch's whistle. The entire crowd watched as both teams landed before shouting began.

"What's the score?!?" Neville yelled.

"Gryffindor by fifty!" Ron yelled back.

"This is ridiculous!" Hermione shouted. "Why can't they just reschedule the game!"

Logically, rescheduling the game was the smart thing to do but it wasn't how Quidditch worked. Games went on rain or shine, regardless of possible injuries. _Unless you're Draco Malfoy of course._

There was another whistle and the teams were back in the air. Hayden was just above Cedric, who suddenly flew off in the opposite direction. There was a clap of thunder followed immediately by forked lightning, lighting up the entire stadium. Orion took the opportunity to search for the Snitch and found it trying to out-run Cedric. Hayden noticed it at the same time and took off after Cedric. Hayden had the better broom but there was so much distance between them. Hayden was gaining but Cedric was closing in. Cedric was going to catch it—

Suddenly, an eerie silence fell across the stadium. An intense cold set in making everyone shiver. Slowly, Orion's gaze shifted down to the field below…and he saw it. There were at least a hundred Dementors standing beneath the players. Orion's eyes widened in horror as he immediately pushed through the crowd and pulled out his wand. This wasn't happening! It couldn't! Not when Hayden was in the air!

Orion looked back up at Hayden and saw him hunch over on his broom. There wasn't any time. Orion pointed his wand at Hayden as Hayden slipped off his broom. "_Arresto_ _Momentum_!" he bellowed.

Hayden's descent slowly slightly but it wasn't going to be enough. He was still going to crash! _Someone help me please!_ Orion tried to push more and more force into his wand, hoping against hope that it would be enough.

The cold suddenly intensified as Orion found his vision blocked by black. Looking up, Orion could only stare in horror at the hooded Dementor as the cold seemed to seep into him, freezing his body from the inside. A cold, decayed hand wrapped around Orion's neck before he suddenly felt weightless. It was impossible to breathe. Orion could hear screaming—a man's voice…two voices that sounded so familiar.

"_What have you done to him?!?"_

"_It's not what it looks like!"_

"_How can it not be? My son is dead! You killed him!"_

Their voices were suddenly drowned out by high pitched laughter. There was a flash of silver and Orion knew no more.

* * *

"I can't believe it. Why would they go after Orion?"

"I wish I knew, Lily. All I can say is that at least Severus noticed what was happening and Cedric was able to catch him. We were so focused on protecting Hayden that we were almost too late to help Orion."

"Have you heard from Sirius?"

"Ah, yes. I believe the Minister now understands completely that you don't threaten a Grim's pup. He refuses to remove the Dementors, of course, but he is in agreement that one more offense and they will be removed."

Orion tried to open his eyes but they just wouldn't obey. A part of him was glad for it. His entire body ached, his throat throbbed in pain and he felt so weak. Moving anything just felt like too much work but—why? How did this happen?

"I see that Hayden has been released," Professor Dumbledore said lightly.

"He'd still be here if Poppy hadn't demanded he leave," Mrs. Potter said dryly. "I swear, I thought there was going to be another revolt with Hayden, Neville and Cedric at the lead."

Professor Dumbledore chuckled. "Well, Orion does seem in inspire loyalty in those around him," he said. "I do not blame them for being worried or their actions to protect him. Orion is normally the one looking out for everyone else. He has risked his own life in more than one occasion to keep Hayden safe."

Mrs. Potter let out a sigh. "You don't have to remind me," she said tiredly. "I know we owe Orion and Sirius more than we could ever possibly repay."

There was a sound of movement followed by the bed shifting which seemed to cause a chain reaction. Orion felt his body shift, making him aware of every ache and forcing him to let out a soft groan of pain. All conversation instantly ceased which could only mean one thing. _They're going to want me to talk about what happened…about what I heard._

The problem was that Orion didn't understand what he had heard.

"Orion?" Professor Dumbledore asked gently. "Ori, can you please open your eyes?"

Orion let out a weak noise of protest before he felt something cool pressed to his lips. Cautiously, Orion slowly opened his mouth and tried not to cringe as a bitter tasting liquid was slowly poured in. As soon as the potion was swallowed, Orion could feel his pain decreasing to a more manageable level. Grasping as much energy as possible, Orion weakly opened his eyes to see Professor Dumbledore's twinkling blue eyes, Mrs. Potter's concerned emerald green and Madam Pomfrey's relieved chocolate brown.

"How are you feeling, my boy?" Professor Dumbledore asked gently.

Orion could only stare tiredly at Professor Dumbledore while silently pleading, _please let me go back to sleep._

"I know you are tired, Orion," Professor Dumbledore continued. "It is very late. Allow me to 'fill in the blanks' if you will and then we shall let you rest. The Dementors have been extremely restless. I believe I am partially to blame since I refused to allow them into the school after the break-in. With nothing to feed on, the large crowd around the Quidditch field was just too tempting for them to pass up. Hayden fell of his broom which, thanks to you and some of the staff, he avoided serious injury. His broom, however, was completely destroyed."

Orion could only let out a sigh. He was glad that Hayden was all right but also knew that the loss of a treasured possession like a Nimbus 2000 probably hadn't settled well.

"For reasons unknown, the Dementors then focused on you," Professor Dumbledore said as he gently grasped Orion's hand. "Fortunately, Professor Snape and Cedric acted before it was too late. The soreness you feel I believe is due to the spell cast to protect Hayden. A rather difficult spell for someone your age but, of course, you've always managed to work ahead." Professor Dumbledore smiled at Orion with a twinkle in his eyes. "Madam Pomfrey insists that your throat will be back to normal in a few days so I'm afraid you must be a little patient. Is there anything else you wish to know?"

Orion could only let out a hoarse squeak which seemed to be enough. Professor Dumbledore gently squeezed Orion's shoulder before bidding good night. Madam Pomfrey had Orion swallow a few more potions before she retreated to her office. Mrs. Potter, on the other hand, didn't leave. Orion could only watch tiredly as she gently tucked him in. His eyes drooped as he felt her warm hand cup his face. Darkness slowly claimed him as something soft pressed against his forehead. It reminded him of when he was little and his father had kissed him goodnight but that was impossible. Why would Mrs. Potter do that?

* * *


	8. Lessons Begin

Chapter 8

Lessons Begin

Once again soft voices brought Orion to the world of consciousness but the voices were completely different. Instead of Professor Dumbledore and Mrs. Potter, Sirius, Cedric, and Neville were quietly discussing something extremely important…whatever it was. Opening his eyes slowly to avoid the harsh blast of sunlight, Orion immediately noticed how tired Sirius looked. _Dad's probably been up all night._

Of course, Cedric and Neville didn't look much better. Hadn't Professor Dumbledore told anyone that he was fine? Well…perhaps that was saying too much. Orion didn't exactly feel 'fine' but he certainly felt better than he did last night. The pain had decreased to a more manageable level even if his throat still felt like something had scratched the inside of it repeatedly. _If it was only last night._ _How long have I been asleep?_

"Dad?" Orion croaked.

Instantaneously, Sirius, Cedric and Neville jumped and turned their attention to Orion. Sirius was the first to move. He quickly sat down on the edge of Orion's bed and grasped Orion's hand as a relieved smile spread on his face. Orion knew that look. It was a look that Sirius put on to hide how he was really feeling.

Orion bit his lip as he felt his eyes sting. Why did this have to happen now? Wasn't there already enough going on? "Dad, I'm sorry—"

"—now, none of that, kiddo," Sirius said firmly as he grabbed a glass of water from the bedside table and helped Orion take a drink. "This wasn't your fault. We don't know why the Dementors purposely sought you out but we're going to make sure it doesn't happen again. Remus is going to start Patronus lessons with you and Hayden as soon as he can and he's going to have a Dementor class for each year once he has enough material. There will also be another pair of Aurors whose duty is to monitor the grounds, especially when students are outside the walls."

Orion slowly blinked. The last thing he wanted was to be more of a prisoner than he already was. "Why don't they just get rid of the Dementors then so you can focus on finding Lestrange and Pettigrew?" Orion asked softly.

Sirius let out a tired sigh. "Believe me, kiddo, I agree with you but Fudge insists that they are necessary," he said in frustration. "Merlin help me. That man is too concerned with public opinion instead of actually doing something to fix the problem."

Orion figured it would be best not to push the topic. It had been his experience not to push Sirius when he got in one of these moods. Just like Orion, Sirius had been dealt one blow after another without any hint of progress. Orion could only imagine what the team was going through at the moment. "What about the game?" he asked at last.

Neville and Cedric shared an uncomfortable glance. "Well, you have to understand, Ori," Cedric began nervously. "I didn't know what was happening until after I caught the Snitch. I looked back and saw Hayden fall. That was when everything got messy. The Professors tried to save Hayden and push the Dementors away with Patronuses. One broke off and went towards you—I've never been so scared. I thought it actually kissed you, Ori."

"We all did," Neville added. "It had lowered its hood before something silver hit it. It let go of you and you fell but Cedric caught you before you hit the ground."

"I just wish I noticed sooner," Cedric muttered angrily. "After we brought you to the hospital wing, I tried to convince Madam Hooch for a rematch but she declared the match over."

"Hayden's taking it better than I thought he would," Neville added. "I think he was more worried about you than losing the match. He's not the only one. Professor Dumbledore's furious. I've never seen him so angry. He's been coming by a lot to check on you."

"All right boys," Sirius spoke up at last. "I think that's enough for now. I believe it's time for lunch so perhaps you should go and tell everyone Orion's all right."

Cedric and Neville hesitated for a moment before reluctantly bidding goodbye and leaving the hospital wing. As soon as the door closed, Orion found himself pulled into a fierce embrace. His eyes burned as he felt Sirius begin to shake. That was all it took for Orion's restlessness to vanish. Suddenly, it didn't matter how many liberties that had been taken away or the constant chaperoning. He would put up with all of it and more if it meant that was what it took for his father to not worry about him.

"What are we going to do, Dad?" Orion asked, his voice muffled against Sirius' chest.

Sirius let out a sigh as he slowly lowered Orion down to the bed. A determined smile forced on his face. "We'll do everything in our power to get through this, Ori," he said seriously. "I don't care if I have to take a leave of absence and be by your side as Padfoot. I have made my views clear with Scrimgeour and Fudge. They know that you come first—your safety comes first and right now, Dumbledore's not providing that."

"Dad—"

"—no Ori," Sirius insisted. "Listen, I know your grandfather has an entire school of children he has to worry about but he's supposed to look out for you. He's supposed to protect you."

Orion stared at Sirius with a raised eyebrow. "No offense, Dad, but I'm partially to blame for that," he admitted. "I haven't exactly avoided danger like I should have."

Sirius let out a snort. "I think you get that from me," he said good-naturedly. "We both seem to run into everything head first. In the future, though, I believe we both need to start thinking before jumping into danger. How about we make a deal?"

Orion could only smile. "Dad, you always said that deals are made to be broken."

"That's when they're made with politicians," Sirius countered instantly. "Politicians can't be trusted to do anything unless it benefits them in some way. Anyways, this deal is between us. How about we both promise to be more cautious and talk to someone when we feel the need to do something—well, rash. Moony's here for you to talk to and I know Kingsley would knock some sense into me if I needed it. "

Orion stared at Sirius for a moment before speaking up. "How many times has he so far?"

"Excuse me?" Sirius countered incredulously. "I'm in complete control. Everything is running…well…all right, Kingsley's helped a few times—but _just_ a few! My team has complete confidence in me."

Orion grinned. Sirius acted so strange sometimes, especially when it came to admitting his faults. The grin didn't last, however, when Orion remembered the voices he had heard before losing consciousness. "Dad?" he asked cautiously and waited for Sirius to nod for him to continue. "Have you—have you ever…had someone accuse you of killing their child?"

The last part was said so softly and quickly that Sirius had to strain to hear. It was obvious he had heard though considering how pale he suddenly got. "Ori, who—"

"—no one!" Orion insisted. "It's just that when the Dementor grabbed me, I heard things. I heard you fighting with someone. They said you killed their son…then I heard laughter."

Sirius let out a sigh before burying his face in his hands. After a long moment, Sirius finally raised his eyes to meet Orion's. "I've always been honest with you, Ori, even when no one else agreed with me," he said shakily. "I don't want to lie to you so please just trust me. I will tell you about it when I think you're ready, all right?"

Orion couldn't find the strength to protest. How could he? "Sure, Dad," he said with a reassuring smile. "Forget about it."

A relieved smile grew on Sirius' face. "Thanks, Shadow," he said sincerely. "I should go check on Evelyn. I left her in charge for the latest shift which is almost over." Sirius stood up as he ruffled Orion's hair. "Get some rest, all right? I have a feeling Poppy's going to be keeping you here for the rest of the weekend."

Sirius' prediction turned out to be true. Madam Pomfrey had insisted on keeping Orion for the rest of the weekend and cast every possible spell she could to ensure he was improving. It was extremely embarrassing when visitors were present but it seemed that Orion was the only one who thought so. Everyone was more interested in updates on Orion's health. The most frequent visitors were certainly Neville, Cedric, Hayden, Hermione and Ron although Sirius' team always managed to check in whenever they were in the castle

When Monday finally arrived, Orion didn't know if being released from the hospital wing was actually a good thing. Sure, he was bored and sick of the place but at least he had some time to himself. It seemed that everyone in the school wanted to make sure that Orion hadn't actually been kissed by the Dementor…

…as if him talking quite fluently to people wasn't enough proof.

The only person who wasn't the least sympathetic to what happened to Orion was Draco Malfoy. All that seemed to matter to him was that Gryffindor had finally lost a match giving his team a good chance for the Quidditch Cup. Hayden received the majority of the taunting but surprisingly did nothing about it. Hayden's focus had shifted to learning everything he could about the Patronus Charm.

"If the Ministry's not going to remove the Dementors then I better know how to get rid of them," Hayden had said when he had borrowed Orion's advanced Charms book.

Remus had returned to teaching looking extremely worn with dark shadows beneath his eyes but happy to be back. As soon as everyone was seated, Remus didn't waste any time starting class and Orion knew why. It was better to distract curiosity before secrets could be accidentally revealed. Throughout the lecture, it was like Remus had never 'been ill'. He captured everyone's attention up until the bell rang. Like everyone else, Orion began gathering his things only to find himself and Hayden called to stay behind.

As everyone else left, Remus covered the Hinkypunk's box with a cloth before slowly sitting down behind his desk. "I heard what happened," he said gently. "Sirius, James and Lily were rather adamant that I do everything in my power to get you two to talk to me."

Orion frowned in confusion. "I talked to Dad—"

"—yes but your father believes there's more that wasn't said and he knows how you usually refrain from certain topics that you'll believe will worry him," Remus interrupted. "I happen to agree with him. If it'll make you feel better, we can begin lessons as soon as my strength's returned."

Orion let out a sigh of relief. It wasn't much but at the moment doing something was better than nothing. _Learning to defend myself from those things is definitely a step in the right direction._

"Is it okay if I join you?" Hayden asked eagerly. "I—I just can't have that happen again."

Remus smiled knowingly. "You're always welcome, Hayden," he said reassuringly. "I'm sorry about your broomstick. Your father said it was completely destroyed when it hit the Whomping Willow."

Hayden nodded sullenly. "Dad said he's working on it but I know the Nimbus series is expensive," he said quietly.

"That may be true but it wasn't your fault, Hayden," Remus countered. "You were attacked not doing some foolish stunt like someone else I know."

Orion flushed in embarrassment. "I was nine and I said I was sorry!" he protested.

Remus smiled. "After you nearly gave your father and me a heart attack," he said good-naturedly. "I'm just teasing, Ori. If I could blame anyone, it would probably be Charlie. He was the one that taught you most of those tricks." Remus shifted his gaze to Hayden, his smile fading slightly. "I assure you, Hayden; things will work out and try not to worry about the Dementors. They won't dare coming near the school unless they are called."

Hayden let out a sigh. "I just wish they didn't affect me like that. I hate hearing Voldemort's voice—laughing then screaming. It's like I'm back there…I can feel it. I can feel Harry…"

Orion and Remus shared an uncomfortable glance. "Hayden—"

"—no!" Hayden insisted. "You don't get it! I don't know how I know but I do! Harry needed me! He wanted me to protect him!"

Remus rested his elbows on his desk and enfolded his fingers, his gaze never leaving Hayden. "Well, Harry was always so dependent on you," he said at last. "I think you always knew it in some aspect. You always defended him, even when Harry had done something wrong. Trust me, Hayden. I 'get it'. I understand because I saw the proof every day for five years."

Hayden stared at Remus for a moment before speaking up. "D—do you think Harry forgives me?" he asked in a wavering voice.

Remus didn't hesitate. "There's nothing to forgive, Hayden," he insisted as he slowly stood and walked around his desk. "Listen to me. What happened to Harry _was not your fault_. You have no reason to feel guilty. You did everything you could for your brother."

Hayden let out a sigh and nodded although it was obvious that he wasn't completely convinced. It was cruel but Orion truly thought that the entire Potter family needed professional help. They had more issues than the Daily Prophet and none of them were willing to talk about any of it.

* * *

Although the term seemed to reach an all-time low, things seemed to turn around for both Orion and Hayden. Patronus lessons were scheduled every Saturday morning with a Boggart being used to project Hayden's biggest fear—a Dementor. Orion quickly realized that no amount of studying could help in casting the complex magic. Remus had said that a powerful positive memory and force of will was all that was needed but there had to be more to it. Orion just knew there was something he was missing since none of the memories he used created any sort of defense.

Hayden's mood improved remarkably at the end of November when Ravenclaw flattened Hufflepuff in their Quidditch match, giving Gryffindor a chance for the Quidditch Cup. Oliver was once again obsessed with ensuring Gryffindor did everything in their power to take advantage of the situation while Orion tried not to feel like a traitor to his own house in supporting Cedric. Most Gryffindors just didn't understand. For the first time, Hufflepuff actually had a chance of qualifying for the Quidditch Cup. It was their chance to shine instead of being overlooked.

Snow finally arrived two weeks before the end of term making everyone excited about the upcoming holidays. Orion was among the many that couldn't wait for a break from Hogwarts…for more than one reason. Life at Hogwarts had just become too complicated. A little peace and quiet was long overdue.

The final Hogsmeade visit of the term a week later ended up being a blessing in disguise…at least for Orion. While everyone was in Hogsmeade, Orion spent the day in Remus' office working on his Patronus while Hayden and Rose sat off to the side paging through Oliver's copy of Which Broomstick for a possible replacement for Hayden's destroyed Nimbus 2000 and talking in hushed voices. Deep down, Orion knew something wasn't right. Hayden and Rose had arrived late and looked a little edgy. Why, Orion had no idea although he had every intention of cornering Hayden to find out...

…until Neville, Hermione and Ron returned from Hogsmeade demanding to talk to Orion and Hayden immediately.

"What's going on?" Hayden demanded as they entered the second year boys' dorm in the Gryffindor Tower.

Ron and Hermione shared an uncertain look before Hermione spoke up. "The Minister of Magic was in Hogsmeade today. We overheard him talking to Professor McGonagall, Professor Flitwick and Hagrid." Hayden just stared at Hermione in confusion, forcing Hermione to continue. "They were talking about you and your family, Hayden."

Hayden's confusion transformed into nervousness. "What about my family?" he asked.

Hermione glanced at Ron and then Neville for help but received none. "Well, they were talking about what happened with Pettigrew," she said cautiously, "and then what happened with the Orion's dad."

Hayden and Orion shared a knowing look. "Why would that be anyone's business?" Orion asked.

Neville let out a snort. "You know why, Ori," he said in a bored tone. "Fudge will do any say anything to make himself look good. Your dad's been causing a lot of problems at the Ministry. By making your dad look bad, he probably hopes that people won't be so supportive of your dad's crusade to protect us."

"I know that, Neville," Orion said dryly. "My question is why would Professor McGonagall, Professor Flitwick and Hagrid be a part of the conversation?"

"They weren't!" Hermione exclaimed quickly. "They kept defending your dad. The Minister refused to listen to them. He kept blaming your dad for why the Potters stopped coming to Ministry functions."

Hayden let out a snort. "My parents stopped forcing me to go to those things because _Harry died_," he said angrily. "Mum's always said that when they lost Harry was when they realized what was really important—our safety and happiness. Neville's right. He's lost control of the entire investigation and wants the power back."

"Hayden!" Hermione scolded. "That's terrible! He's the Minister of Magic—"

"—and is more worried about his position than his people," Orion interrupted. "Corruption is everywhere, Hermione. How do you think so many of Voldemort's followers managed to avoid life sentences in Azkaban?"

Hermione looked away with a scowl on her face. Orion understood how she felt. The Wizarding World seemed to be a walking contradiction at times. Many talked about progress and moving forward but they still believed in the ancient beliefs that those of money shouldn't follow the same rules of everyone else. Those who had supporting Voldemort during the first war tended to take advantage of that loophole which had made Sirius' job difficult.

How could someone enforce the law when his superiors overruled him?

"I'll talk to my dad," Hayden said at last. "He may not have the influence he used to but he has enough to make Fudge nervous. My family's past isn't his business—it isn't _anyone's_ business!"

"We know that, Hayden," Ron said quickly. "We just thought you should know what was being said."

"You know what you need to do," Neville said quietly. "You need to make your parents issue a complaint against Fudge. My parents did that after they were attacked and Fudge said my dad wouldn't be able to return to his job. Fudge hasn't tried anything since."

Orion had to bite his tongue in order to refrain from making a comment that Hermione wouldn't appreciate. Not many people knew how difficult it was for the Longbottoms to recover from the attack made on them by the Lestranges and Barty Crouch, Jr. Frank Longbottom had done everything in his power to protect his wife and son and suffered for years because of it. His damaged nerves made field work nearly impossible which cost him several promotions…promotions that ended up going to Sirius.

"Is that really wise?" Hermione asked curiously. "Wouldn't it be better to have the Minister of Magic a friend rather than an enemy?"

"I friend that talks about you behind your back in no friend to have," Hayden said firmly. "Trust me, Hermione. The smartest thing my parents ever did was separate themselves from Fudge."

Personally, Orion had to agree. Fudge would have been completely unbearable with the-boy-who-lived in his pocket.

* * *


	9. Mysterious Presents

Chapter 9

Mysterious Presents

Two mornings later, Orion couldn't hold back the grin that grew on his face as he woke in his own bed in Black Manor. It was a complicated arrangement for the holidays but both Sirius and Remus agreed that Orion needed some time away from Hogwarts. Remus was still at Hogwarts, preparing for the upcoming full moon and Sirius was following the latest lead with his team, leaving Orion home alone for the next hour until he was scheduled to go over to Cedrics. Mr. and Mrs. Diggory had actually been rather excited at the thought of having their second son over, especially when Sirius had given them the _entire_ story.

Coming home at night had been something Orion had to fight for. Sirius and the Diggorys had worried about Orion being alone at night but Orion insisted that Mindy and Toby wouldn't let anything happen. He had wanted to sleep in his own bed away from all of the hovering. Besides, there was normally someone from Sirius team at Black Manor during the night. It wasn't like he was alone.

With his promise to his father in mind, Orion had relayed to Sirius what Neville, Hermione and Ron had overheard at Hogsmeade. To say that Sirius and Mr. Potter were upset was an understatement. Both (according to Evelyn who had relieved Mrs. Longbottom of 'Orion duty' late last night) had made their opinions of the Ministers comments clear to Madam Bones and Mr. Scrimgeour until actions were taken.

Cornelius Fudge had been giving an official warning against slander which was probably only done because it had been Sirius and Mr. Potter. Badmouthing the family of the biggest celebrities since Albus Dumbledore had obviously been a mistake on the Ministers part. Needless to say, Fudge suddenly became extremely accommodating which included putting an end to the investigation into Hagrid's teaching abilities.

Orion wished he could see Draco's face when he found that out.

The days at the Diggory's were certainly an experience for Orion. There was no training other than schoolwork that needed to be completed. Mrs. Diggory insisted that Orion should relax over the holidays and had a tendency to hover to make sure that happened. Deep down, Orion wanted to agree but there were different types of relaxing. Ordered to take nap every day was pushing it too far.

Luckily, Cedric's room was out of bounds for Mrs. Diggory's hovering so Orion and Cedric were able to practice spell-casting in peace. Cedric instructed Orion on some fifth year spells while Orion instructed Cedric on basic dueling and the background for the Patronus Charm. Orion was slowly gaining ground on his own Patronus. More and more silver mist was coming out of his wand each time but it was still so aggravating.

Christmas morning was a welcomed change for Orion. Instead of waking on his own, Orion woke to Padfoot's wet and rough tongue catching his ear. Orion couldn't help it. He broke out in laughter as he tried to tackle the grim-like dog. It was a fruitless endeavor but it was fun to try. The simple act of wrestling with Padfoot reminded Orion of times before Hogwarts when everything had been easy.

It had been strange celebrating Christmas without Remus there but Sirius insisted that they would have a second Christmas when Remus was a little less furry. Orion had to smile at that. The look on Sirius face had promised that a prank war would accompany the second Christmas and Orion was eager to test out a few spells that Cedric had taught him.

Toby and Mindy had clearly outdone themselves for breakfastfilling the table with mountains of food. At first, Orion was wondering if company was expected but then he remembered that this was actually the first meal they had been able to cook for the Black family since Orion left in September. Obviously, they missed Orion more than he originally thought.

When it was time to open presents, Orion noticed that Sirius seemed nervous, which was a first. Normally Sirius was so excited to see Orions reaction to everything he opened. Orions senses were suddenly on alert. "Dad, what's wrong?" Orion asked cautiously.

Sirius let out a sigh before digging through Orions presents and pulling out a long, thin package. "I know you didn't ask for this but I thought you needed an upgrade," he said as he handed the present over before sitting back down on the sofa.

Orion eyed Sirius curiously before ripping the parcel open and gasped as a magnificent, gleaming broomstick was revealed. There was no way! There was no way his father would ever spend _that_ much money on a broomstick! "A Firebolt?" Orion asked in disbelief. "Dad, I'm not even officially a part of the team. This--this is too much--"

"Ori, don't," Sirius said as he joined Orion on the floor. "You do need a new broom, especially considering some of those death defying tricks you like to pull." Orion could only look away sheepishly. "Also, I thought it was only fair. I helped James pay for Hayden's new broom to make up for the past few years of not being there as his godfather."

Orion's gaze turned sympathetic. He knew that was something that still bothered Sirius--not being there for his godson. "Dad, maybe you should talk to Hayden," he offered. "I'm sure he'd understand--"

"I know he would, kiddo," Sirius said with a sigh. "That's the problem. Ori, you don't know what it would do to me if I suddenly lost your trust. James and Lily are at that point now. Remus and I--we've said too much--"

"--you've been honest!" Orion insisted. "Dad, its not your fault that the Potters have kept so much from Hayden and Rose. Do they honestly expect that Hayden and Rose wont have questions about the past? About their brother?"

Sirius cringed. "Ori, that isn't our decision to make," he said tiredly. "We both know that I don't have the same methods of raising a child as the Potters--"

"--thank Merlin for that," Orion muttered causing Sirius to smile.

"However," Sirius continued, "we both know that many don't agree with how--well--blunt I've been with you--Frank and Alice being in that group."

Orion snorted. "If _Auntie Alice_ had her way I'd be less informed than Hayden," he said dryly. "She babies me too much."

Sirius stared at Orion with a raised eyebrow. "Orion, be nice," he warned. "Alice and Elena are the closest people you have to a mother."

Orion cringed. Sirius would bring up Mrs. Diggory's mothering tendencies. She was often worse that Mrs. Longbottom--mostly because Orion was too polite to tell her to shove off. "And they know it," Orion grumbled. "Dad, what is this really about? You've never--well--doubted yourself like this before."

Sirius let out a tired sigh. "With James being a part of the team we've talked about things," he admitted. "He's asking me--_me_ of all people for advice on parenting! He keeps saying he wants what we have."

Orion snorted as he enfolded his hands across his chest. "It's called honestly," he said dryly. "Mr. Potter should try looking it up."

_"Ori_," Sirius warned. "Be nice."

Orion's eyes narrowed. "Why?" he asked bluntly. "How can you just ignore everything he's put you through? I can understand you feeling sorry for Hayden and Rose. They didn't do anything to deserve this but Mr. and Mrs. Potter? Dad--"

"--I'll never forget what happened, Ori," Sirius interrupted. "I know that well never be the Marauders again but that doesn't mean that things have to stay as they are now. I've made plenty of mistakes when I was younger--hurting people who really didn't deserve to be hurt but--well--most of them managed to forgive me. It would be hypocritical of me not to do the same."

Orion let out a frustrated sigh. "What's with you acting like an adult?" he grumbled.

Sirius grinned. "Well, it had to happen sometime, don't you think?"

Of course, Sirius maturity only lasted until a prank war began leaving almost every room in Black Manor a disaster and both competitors unrecognizable. It didnt take long for both Sirius and Orion to agree to never bring up the effects of the prank war again. It was just too embarrassing--especially considering that Orion had managed to turn his father into a pink poodle.

It hadn't been a surprise when Hayden had arrived just after sunset. Orion took one look at Hayden's nervous face before excusing himself to leave his father and friend alone. This was what they needed. Hayden wasn't like Orion. He didn't have countless adults to talk to. Orion couldn't imagine what that must have been like. He had his own godparents--the Longbottoms, Remus, the Diggorys, and even the teaching staff at Hogwarts.

Sometimes Orion wondered what he had ever done to be so lucky.

* * *

Cedric wasn't happy to learn that the Gryffindor Quidditch Team was in possession of two Firebolts. Orion figured it would be better to break the news before returning to Hogwarts. It had been a smart decision but that also left days of Cedric continuously asking for details on the broom. Orion had assured Cedric that a trial flight would be granted but it seemed that Cedrics patient and understanding personality vanished when Quidditch was involved.

Personally, Orion didn't understand it. Yes, he loved the sport. There was nothing else like it but flying without the limitations of the game was so much better. His father had often joked that if could have chosen his Animagus form, it would have been some form of bird and Orion had to agree. Of course, there was absolutely nothing wrong with Shadow. Being Shadow was funespecially when Orion was able to catch Sirius by surprise.

It had been difficult visiting Remus a few days later. They had a private Christmas dinner in Remus quarters at Hogwarts mostly because Remus was still recovering. The transformation had been a difficult one due to--in Remus' opinion--the fact that Moony's pack was so far away. Remus grudgingly admitted that Moony had come accustomed to having his cub so close for so long. The simple revelation made Orion wonder what it was like for Remus when Orion had left for Hogwarts the first time.

Before Orion knew it, it was time to return to Hogwarts. Sirius team was once again assigned to security detail which Orion found a little ridiculous. He didnt doubt his father's ability to defend the train. It was just that Sirius team was the head team on the search for Lestrange and Pettigrew. There were plenty other Aurors that could spend the entire day on the train. Of course, Orion knew the real reason Sirius team was assigned. The public loved Sirius Black and felt reassured that their children were in good hands.

Politics.

Orion, Neville and Cedric arrived at King's Cross Station early with the majority of Sirius' team, allowing ideal compartment selection but it also meant there was so much time to wait until everyone else arrived. Cedric picked his normal compartment across from Orion and Neville before joining them in a game of Exploding Snap. It was in the middle of the second game that Hayden and Rose arrived followed by Hermione and eventually Ron who immediately wanted to see Hayden's Firebolt.

"Ron!" Hermione scolded. "There are more important things than a broomstick!"

Ron stared at Hermione incredulously. "It's a Firebolt!" he exclaimed as if that explained everything. "Don't you understand? It's going to be the featured broom at the World Cup! Professionals endorse it!"

"Ron has a point, Hermione," Cedric added. "If rumors can be believed, the Firebolt is the ideal broom for any Quidditch player. Imagine comparing a first edition Hogswarts, A History to the abridged version. You just can't compare the two."

Hermione let out an annoyed huff. "It's still just a broomstick," she muttered.

"Don't even try, Hermione," Rose offered. "Mum's never understood the obsession either. She's always said that men feel the need to prove themselves by near-death experiences instead of using their brains and realizing that a little romance would do the job."

"HEY!" a handful of voiced protested.

"What?" Rose asked innocently. "I'm just repeating what my mum says."

"Mum's nutter when it comes to Quidditch, Rose," Hayden grumbled. "You know that."

Rose let out a snort of disbelief. "Sure, Mum's nutter for wanting you to survive a game," she said dryly. "Let's face it, Hayden. You haven't exactly had the best record when it comes from escaping games unharmed."

Hayden threw his hands in the air in aggravation. "I give up," he announced. "Mum's poisoned you against me!"

Rose enfolded her arms across her chest. "Didn't take too much now, did it?" she asked with a smirk. "I've always known you were thick, my dear brother. I just didn't think it was this much."

"Rose," Orion warned, noticing Hayden's clenching fists. "We all get the point. Some people don't understand how Quidditch can be an obsession--your mum being one of them." Personally he agreed but he wasn't about to admit that now. "We all have different hobbies and interests. It's best that we accept each others differences rather than rip them apart."

Everyone stared at Orion dumbfounded before Cedric sniffed and brushed away an imaginary tear. "My little brother is all grown up," he said in a choked voice then rose to his feet. "I better get in my own compartment. You all behave, you hear me?"

Orion snorted as he waved goodbye to Cedric. "Stupid big brother," he muttered. "Can't live with them and can't blame everything on them without them."

Rose laughed. "Isn't that the truth," she said with a grin. "Did I ever tell you the story of how I managed to get Hayden in trouble for breaking into my dad's office?"

"Rose!" Hayden protested angrily sending Rose and Orion into laughter.

The rest of the train ride passed in a haze of games and jokes. There were a few visitors who had somehow heard of Hayden's Christmas present--Oliver being one of them. It took quite a bit of convincing on Hayden's part for Oliver to agree to not seeing the broom until the first Quidditch practice. _Honestly,_ Orion thought. _Its not like Oliver doesnt know everything about the broom already._

When the train finally reached Hogsmeade Station, Orion was only all too eager to finally get off the train, along with everyone else. A strong wind had settled in making the cold winter night all the colder. The process of exiting the train and boarding the horseless carriages seemed to take forever. Orion had to cast several warming charms to make sure he could still feel his fingers and toes. By the time they finally reached Hogwarts, everyone was shivering in their cloaks.

Throughout dinner, the revelation of Hayden's replacement broom passed through all four houses. Members from the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw teams had actually asked if they could come to Gryffindors next practice for a look. Hayden was bright red in embarrassment while Orion was glad that no one other than Cedric and Neville knew about his upgrade. He really didn't need rumors and accusations at the moment.

Classes started again the next day, providing plenty of distractions. Hagrid had been a rather large bundle of energy throughout class informing everyone that he had been cleared to instruct as he wished. That left everyone extremely nervous until Hagrid took them to a bonfire full of salamanders, allowing them to stay warm on the cold January morning. Their task was to collect dry wood and leaves to keep the fire blazing while Hagrid lectured.

With a free period next, Orion was able to get a start on an extra assignment from Remus on fifth year material while everyone else was in Divination. There were so many ways that Orion was grateful he didn't sign up for that class but the look on Haydens face when they met up for Defense Against the Dark Arts was probably the most significant. Orion didn't think he would be able to put up with a teacher who found joy in predicting death.

After class, Orion and Hayden were held back by Remus who said hed be able to move up their Dementor lessons to twice a week. Hayden was overjoyed since he hadnt really made any progress as of yet. Orion could only think of the pathetic wisps of silver he had created in the past. Why was this so difficult? Why was it that the first time he _needed_ to master something he couldn't?

Once they met up with Neville, Ron and Hermione in the Great Hall for dinner, however, the conversation was one that Orion didnt want to hear.

"He still looks ill, doesn't he?" Ron asked as Orion and Hayden sat down. "What d'you reckon's the matter with him?"

Orion and Neville shared an uncomfortable glancesomething that wasn't missed by Hermione. "You know, don't you?" she whispered out of the corner of her mouth.

Orion cast a quick glance at Ron and Hayden before nodding slightly. "He's my uncle, Hermione," he whispered back. "Just don't say anything. Not everyone is accepts them for the people they actually are."

Hermione's gaze turned sympathetic and she nodded. Orion knew that questions would come later and he also knew that Remus had to talk to Hayden and Rose soon. Their trust was already so fragile. The last thing they needed was for someone they did trust to break it.

* * *

Dementor lessons Thursday evening passed similarly to previous lessons with only one difference. Hayden seemed to be trying harder than before. Orion focused as hard as he could on his own work but he just didn't seem to be making any progress. His determination slowly turned into frustration, especially when Hayden's silver mist started growing in size. What in the world was he doing wrong? He had worked so hard, done all the research and even spent hours of his free time practicing.

?All right boys," Remus called out. "I think that should be enough for tonight. I need to get you two back to Gryffindor Tower before curfew."

Orion lowered his wand dejectedly then followed Remus and Hayden to the Gryffindor Tower. Another lesson with no progress. _Maybe I should just give upfor now._ _Maybe I'm just not ready for it but how can that be? Hayden's making progress. Why can't I? _

They reached the portrait of the Fat Lady quicklyalmost too quickly. Orion forced a smile on his face to bid Remus goodnight only to feel a restraining hand on his shoulder.

"Go ahead," Hayden, Remus instructed. "I need to have a word with Orion."

Hayden's uncertain gaze shifted from Remus to Orion before shrugging and gave the Fat Lady the password before vanishing into the Gryffindor tower. Orion took the opportunity to glance cautiously at Remus. Had he done something wrong? Was there some message from Sirius?

"Ori, I couldnt help noticing the difficulty you had tonight," Remus said gently. "Is there something you would like to talk about?"

Orion couldn't hold back a wince. He had hoped that Remus had been too busy coaching Hayden to notice. "It's nothing," he insisted. "It's just hard for me not to pick up on something quickly--like I normally do."

Remus smiled in understanding. "Ah, well Ori, did you ever think thats the reason why youre not making any progress?" he offered. "Confidence is one of the most important factors in spell casting. How many times have you told Neville the same thing?"

Orion shook his head stubbornly. This was something else. It had to be. "Don't worry about it," Remus, he said quietly. "I'll figure it out."

Remus let out a sigh before ruffling Orions hair. "I know you will, cub," he said with a smile. "You always do."

Orion shrugged as another thought entered his head. "Don't you think you should tell Hayden and Rose--"

"--when the time is right, Ori," Remus interrupted. "They haven't known me as long as you have. They also didn't have your father constantly saying that I was nothing more than a harmless puppy."

Orion grinned. He remembered that all too clearly. After he had seen Moony for the first time, Sirius had calmed him down by insisting that Moony wasnt scary. Unfortunately, it had been the end of the full moon period so Orion had begged for a month to see big puppy Moony. Remus hadn't been pleased with Sirius to say the least.

"They wont turn away from you, Moony," Orion said confidently. "Please--_please_ seriously think about it. It would be better if they heard if from you."

Remus let out a tired sigh. "All right, I'll think about it," he said before gently pushing Orion towards the Fat Lady portrait. "Get going before Hayden comes out to check on you."

Orion had to smile as he bid goodnight to Remus. He could only imagine what would happen if Hayden were to overhear their conversation. _Well, that would certainly get everything out there._ If only it were that easy.

* * *

Just a few days later, Slytherin narrowly defeated Ravenclaw in the first Quidditch match of the new term. Good news for Gryffindor until Oliver announced that he was increasing the number of practices to five a week. It was then that Orion finally put his foot down. With the Patronus lessons, mountains of schoolwork and extra assignments from Remus, Orion couldnt justify the Quidditch practices when he wasn't even an actual member of the team. He had his priorities, something Oliver wasn't exactly happy about.

Of course, if anyone had to prioritize it was Hermione. Every night she was sitting in a corner of the common room behind several tables full of books, Arithmancy charts, Rune dictionaries, diagrams of Muggles lifting heavy objects and file upon file of extensive notes. Orion had tried to help when he could but Hermione was so short tempered that the simplest suggestion was taken as a criticism. It wasn't much of a surprise. Orion could feel the strain using Hermiones Time Turner for Charms and Ancient Runes. He couldn't imagine how it felt for Hermione.

"Hey Hayden," Ron muttered one night, still focused on his Undetectable Poisons essay as Hayden returned from Quidditch practice. "How'd it go?"

Hayden flopped in a nearby chair, clearly exhausted. "Wood's out of control," he groaned. "He wants to reorganize everything around our Firebolts."

Orion glanced at Hayden in surprise. "What are you talking about?" he asked. "I'm a substitute--your substitute. We wouldn't be on the field at the same time."

Hayden looked a little sheepish. "Yeah, about that," he said uncomfortably. "Wood's going to talk to you about having you substitute more positions--he thinks it could be an advantage--"

"--no way!" Orion said tensely. "I'm not taking anyone's spot. Besides, I've already promised Cedric that he can use it."

Ron stared at Orion, horrified. "B--but--he's the competition!" he protested.

Orion glared at Ron. "He's my brother!" he shot back. "With everything Cedric's done for me this year, borrowing my broom isn't too much to ask."

Ron scowled and looked away. There was silence for a long moment before Ron spoke again. "So, how's she doing it?" he asked, nodding his head to Hermione.

Orion, Neville and Hayden glanced over at Hermione, barely visible behind the towering pile of books. Neville then shifted his uncomfortable gaze to Orion. That was all that was needed for Orion to know that Neville had figured it out. It wasn't much of a surprise. With both parents working at the Ministry, Neville knew enough about the place to know what was ability from certain departments--like a Time Turner.

"Doing what?" Hayden asked in confusion. "Managing to keep her sanity with all of the schoolwork?"

Ron snorted. "Well, that's up for question," he muttered under his breath before speaking up. "I mean getting to all her classes, Hayden. She's never missed any of her classes and--well, its just not possible! Arithmancy-s at the same time of Care of Magical Creatures and Muggle Studies at the same time of Divination!"

Hayden shrugged tiredly. "What does it matter, Ron?" he asked as he slowly stood up. "I should get started on that essay. How bad is it?"

Ron opened his mouth but Neville beat him to the punch. "It's not so bad," he said with a smile as he grabbed an old black covered book and showed it to Hayden. "It helps that Orion had this. It's a book on poisons."

"What the--you didn't tell me you had a book on poisons!" Ron exclaimed in offense.

Orion grinned. "You didn't ask," he said simply. "I offered to help and you said you had it taken care of."

Ron could only grumble under his breath as he returned his attention to his essay. At least Rons curiosity was settled--for now.

* * *

Before anyone knew it, February had arrived with the intense cold weather remaining constant. The Ravenclaw match was drawing nearer and nearer forcing Orion to attend more practices as a challenge for Hayden. Oliver hadnt been happy to hear that Orion was lending his broom out to Cedric but understood whyon a personal aspect. The majority of the upper years knew that Cedric and Orion were closer than most blood related brothers. However, that didn't stop Oliver from muttering about 'competitor barriers'--whatever that meant.

Even though Orion was hesitant to believe in Remus suggestion with the Patronus Charm, he figured anything was worth a try. After all, nothing he was doing had worked so far. Hayden had also appeared to reach a stand-still, able to produce an indistinct, silvery shadow. It was easy to see why so many gave up on trying to master the charm. Lack of any sort of progress was so frustrating.

"Both of you are expecting too much," Remus said gently. "For thirteen-year-old wizards, even an indistinct Patronus is a huge achievement--yes, even you Ori. You know more than anyone else that some areas and spells in those areas are easier for some than others."

"But Charms is my strong area," Orion protested. "I have to be doing something wrong. There must be some logical--"

Remus burst out laughing. "Oh Ori," he said as soon as he calmed down. "Sometimes you sound so much like me. Your father would have a fit if he heard the word 'logical' out of your mouth."

Orion couldnt help grinning. "Now come on," he said good-naturedly. "Dad's gotten better over the years. He's had to."

Remus snorted. "Right," he said dryly as he pulled three bottles out of his briefcase. "That's only because 'Uncle Al' threatened to curse him beyond recognition if he didn't act professional. He handed out the bottles. Here, you two have earned a drink--something from the Three Broomsticks. I'm not sure if youve had it before, Hayden."

Hayden opened the bottle and took a cautious drink. "Oh! Butterbeer!" he said enthusiastically. "Mum and Dad let me have some every Christmas--well, Mum does. Dad normally lets me drink some whenever Mums not looking."

Remus grinned. "That sounds like your father," he admitted. "He always managed to find a way to bend the rules. Have you talked to them lately?"

Hayden looked a little uncomfortable. "Not really," he admitted. "Dad's busy and Mum's--well--I don't know how to explain it."

Remus gaze turned sympathetic. "Hayden, you should really take advantage of your mother being here," he said gently. "Orion's in the same situation but he manages to talk to me whenever he can."

"That's different," Hayden protested weakly. "I--I just can't talk to my mum about whats on my mind."

Remus and Orion shared a wary glance. "Well," Remus said cautiously. "Is it something I can help you with?"

Hayden bit his lower lip nervously before glancing at Orion. It didnt take a genius to know that whatever was on Hayden's mind was something either private or embarrassing.

"Er--would you like me to step out for a moment?" Orion asked, taking a cautious step towards the door.

"No!" Hayden protested quickly. "I may not get yelled at if you stay." He let out a long breath before continuing. "Look, before Christmas, Fred and George gave me something to cheer me up. At first it looked like just some old parchment but it was actually a really weird map that could show everyone in Hogwarts."

Remus eyes widened. "The Marauders Map!" he gasped. "You have it?"

Hayden stared at Remus in shock. "Y--you know about it?"

Remus laughed. "Know about it? I helped create it," he said. "I'm Moony."

Haydens eyes widened in amazement. "Moony?" he asked in a whisper. "Then--you know the others?"

"Of course," Remus said knowingly before frowning. "Although, I'm surprised you don't know about one of them. Has your father told you anything about his time here at Hogwarts?"

Hayden shrugged. "A little. He always said that he didn't want me to feel like I had to live up to something."

Remus let out a snort. "I suppose it isn't my place--"

"--oh not that again!" Hayden interrupted in aggravation. "Please, just tell me!"

Remus ran a hand through his hair. "Well, I suppose it wouldn't hurt anything. You know Sirius and I were friends with your father in schoolalong with Peter Pettigrew. We caused quite a bit of mischief during our time here. I suppose you could have compared us to the Weasley twins. Orion's father was--is Padfoot, Prongs was your father and--well--Peter Pettigrew was Wormtail."

Haydens eyes widened. "So--Dad was a prankster," he said softly. "But--Mum--they--that doesn't make any sense!"

Remus laughed. "That's what Sirius and I thought when she finally agreed to go out with your father," he admitted. "Talk to your parents, Hayden. Start asking them questions. I have a feeling theyre so worried about the present to even realize they havent told you anything about the past."

Orion could only stare at Hayden in sympathy. He had to admit that the more he learned about Hayden, the more he was glad that he had Sirius Black as a father. He couldn't imagine living in a household where secrets were such a requirement. Sure, Sirius hadn't told Orion absolutely everything about the past but he was an opened book when compared to the Potters.

Didn't they know that they were hurting their children more with their silence than revealing too much?


	10. Things That Go Bump In The Night

Chapter 10

Things That Go Bump in the Night

Much to Hayden's disappointment, Remus had insisted that the Marauder's Map be handed over. Orion had to admit that he understood both sides. The Marauder's Map would be an enormous advantage for Sirius' team but Hayden had just learned that he had something that had belonged to his father—a link to his father's past. Orion had heard so many stories about the map and had always wanted to examine it—just out of curiosity of course. The spell work behind it must have been extremely complex.

…at least that was what he had told Remus.

With the Ravenclaw match just around the corner, Orion and Hayden were forced to focus every spare moment on Quidditch. Orion knew that Hayden would have his hands full. Ravenclaw's seeker was Cho Chang, a fourth year who was relatively new to the game and had some problems with injuries but showed plenty of talent—according to Cedric. Orion had to hide a smile every time Cedric brought her up. It was obvious that Cedric had admired more than her Quidditch ability.

The major benefit for Hayden was that Cho rode a Comet Two Sixty which was nothing when compared to a Firebolt. That was the main reason Orion's presence during practice had become mandatory. If Hayden could win against Orion, he would have no problem against Cho.

Of course, Hayden had to catch Orion first. As Hayden continued to improve, Orion started throwing more and more difficult maneuvers into his flying, something that annoyed Hayden beyond belief. It wasn't exactly fair but it certainly was fun. Orion had to admit that the Firebolt was a dream broom compared to everything else he'd ever flown. It turned with the lightest touch, seeming to obey his thoughts rather than his grip. The speed was also a thrill. The stadium was nothing more than a green and gray blur and that was before Orion tried to push the broom to its limit.

All in all, Orion's fooling around helped Hayden prepare for the unpredictable and by the final practice, the entire team was feeling rather confident. That was, of course, until Oliver pointed one small fact.

"I can't see what could stop us tomorrow—unless, Hayden, you've sorted out the Dementor problem, right?" Oliver asked cautiously.

Orion and Hayden shared a nervous glance. "We're still working on it," Orion said honestly, "but we're gaining ground. If something happens, we should be able to stand our ground for Hayden to land safely."

Well, it was a possibility. After all, Hayden wasn't passing out from the Boggart-Dementor anymore.

"The Dementors won't turn up again, Oliver," Fred said confidently. "Dumbledore'd go ballistic and Professors Lupin and Potter will be there. They wouldn't let anything happen to Hayden."

Oliver had to agree with that. Mrs. Potter wouldn't let anything happen to her son and Remus had already promised that his wand would be at the ready for the entire game. It was probably the only reason Hayden had any sort of confidence for Saturday.

The team was still in high spirits as they headed off to the locker rooms. Fred and George were following Oliver closely, insisting that they had a 'backup plan' ready just in case there was trouble. Orion had to fight a cringe when he heard that. It was never good for the opposition when Fred and George were involved…it was actually rather cruel.

"Let's hope there isn't an encore performance on Saturday," Orion muttered to Hayden. "I don't think we want to see the 'backup plan'."

Hayden glanced over at Fred and George nervously. "They'd never do anything dangerous," he said hopefully. "They'd just create a distraction—"

"—until someone gets caught in the crossfire," Orion interrupted. "Trust me, Hayden. The last thing we need is more chaos."

Out of nowhere, George seemed to appear at Orion's side. "Orion!" he protested. "We're hurt! How could you ever doubt us?"

"We've worked so hard on all our pranks," Fred added. "You should—"

"—know that more than anyone else," George finished with a grin. "For you though—"

"—we shall try to tone it down, prankster's honor," Fred concluded with a salute.

Orion snorted. He doubted the words 'prankster' and 'honor' could ever be used in the same sentence seriously. Sirius had always said there was no honor among pranksters—everything was fair game. At least, he said that until Remus got the upper hand and then it was Remus' fault for not fighting fair. Orion had to admit that even though his father had matured significantly over the years, he was still nothing more than a child when it came to prank wars.

The morning of the Quidditch match seemed to be the complete opposite of their first match. It was a clear, cool day with a very light breeze. Hayden would have no problems on the Firebolt today which would allow Orion to focus completely on monitoring for any unwanted visitors. Breakfast seemed to be a complete spectacle of showing off Hayden's Firebolt. Orion should only shake his head as Oliver tried to psych the Ravenclaw team out by commenting on the Firebolt's benefits rather loudly to anyone who would ask.

It was shameless really but Oliver always said all was fair for the love of Quidditch.

At a quarter to eleven, the Gryffindor team set off for the locker rooms while Orion, Neville, Hermione and Ron hurried to find good seats. Orion already had his wand in hand—just in case. It didn't take long for the stadium to fill with excited students. It seemed that everyone was eager to see the Firebolt in action. Glancing around, Orion couldn't keep from smiling in relief when he caught sight of Remus and Mrs. Potter sitting beside Professor Dumbledore in the teacher's box. There were plenty of people here looking out for Hayden.

A roar of applause broke out as both teams walked out onto the field. The Ravenclaw team was dressed in blue, contrasting to Gryffindor's scarlet robes. Orion had to hold back a snort at the thought of fire and ice fighting each other. That actually sounded about right though. Ravenclaw was actually trying to freeze Gryffindor's hope at the Quidditch cup.

It wasn't difficult to pick out Cho Chang since she was the only girl on the Ravenclaw team. She was a little on the small side for a fourth year but that was a benefit for the position she played. It didn't pass Orion's notice that she was rather pretty but he had a feeling that many other boys thought the same thing.

Everyone watched in anticipation as the captains shook hands before both teams mounted their brooms. As soon as Madam Hooch blew her whistle, cheers washed out any other noise. Hayden flew up higher and faster than everyone else on the field. As soon as Orion saw Hayden focused on finding the Snitch, he focused on keeping his guard up for any possible threat.

"They're off," Lee Jordan announced, "and the big excitement this match is the Firebolt that Hayden Potter is flying for Gryffindor. According to Which Broomstick, the Firebolt's going to be the broom of choice for the national teams at this year's World Championship—"

"Jordan, would you mind telling us what's going on in the match?" Professor McGonagall interrupted impatiently.

"Right you are, Professor—just giving a bit of background information—the Firebolt, incidentally, has a built-in auto-brake—something Hayden Potter has tested completely while practicing with Gryffindor's alternate Seeker, Orion Black, who also has a Firebolt—"

"Jordan!"

"Okay, okay, Gryffindor in possession, Katie Bell of Gryffindor, heading for goal…"

Orion could only roll his eyes in resignation. Great. Just what I need. It was bad enough that Hayden got so much attention for his broom. The last thing he needed was people asking him the same questions. At least Cedric beat them all to the punch.

Seeing Hayden streak past with Cho tailing closely quickly distracted Orion for a quick moment. They were really going too fast to notice anything in particular but Orion did notice that Hayden wasn't being as aggressive as he could be—like he was when Orion flew against him. Please don't tell me you're going to be a gentlemen about this, Hayden. Oliver will kill you if you do.

Hayden remained in the lead as they rounded the Ravenclaw goal posts. He finally seemed to be gaining some ground. As Katie managed to score the first goal of the match, the Gryffindor crowd went wild. It was only for a moment then Hayden was off again in a different direction. The cheers intensified as Hayden dived. Orion spotted it then. The flash of gold that wasn't too far away—could the match be over that quickly?

Apparently not. One of the Ravenclaw Beaters hit a Bludger straight at Hayden, forcing him to veer off course. That was all that was needed for the Snitch to take off and vanish from sight. Hayden abruptly pulled up until he was soaring high above everyone else and began searching for the Snitch again. Orion took the opportunity to scan the field and stands. So far, nothing was out of the ordinary. No Dementors, no escapees from Azkaban and no pranks from Fred and George.

Let's just hope it stays that way.

"Gryffindor leads by eighty points to zero," Lee announced, "and look at that Fireblot go! Potter's really putting it through its paces now, see it turn—Chang's Comet is just no match for it, the Firebolt's precision—balance is really noticeable in these long—"

"JORDAN! ARE YOU BEING PAID TO ADVERTISE FIREBOLTS? GET ON WITH THE COMMENTARY!"

Orion had to hold back a laugh. Lee better watch himself or he would find himself losing the commentator spot, which would be a shame. It was so much more entertaining than having a Slytherin commentate on a Gryffindor's match. Of course, the Slytherins probably felt the same when Lee commentated on their matches.

Ravenclaw managed to score three goals in a row before the Snitch was spotted again by the Ravenclaw end. Both Hayden and Cho took off but Cho was closer this time. If she caught the Snitch, Ravenclaw would win and Gryffindor would have no chance at the cup. Hayden dropped lower, narrowly avoiding a Ravenclaw Chaser as he flew past. He was gaining on her—trying to dodge her blocking. Hayden dived sharply for only a moment before straightening out and continuing on his original course.

Hayden pulled ahead of Cho and pulled up, ready to reach out for the Snitch just as Cho let out a scream and pointed. Orion quickly looked down to where she was pointing and saw them—three tall, black and hooded Dementors looking up at Hayden. Without thinking twice about what wasn't there, Orion pointed his wand at the Dementors and focused on the only thing he could think of that made him truly happy. His family—Sirius, Remus, his grandfather, Cedric, Neville…

"Expecto patronum!" Orion bellowed and was suddenly blinded by silver light that shot at the Dementors like a large animal attacking its prey. It was then that Orion noticed that silver light was coming from multiple directions; one from Hayden and three from where Remus, Mrs. Potter and Professor Dumbledore were. It only took a second for Orion to realize what was really happening. The collision of silver caused the Dementors to let out loud terrified shrieks before falling over…something that Dementors shouldn't do.

Madam Hooch's whistle sounded causing Orion to look around to see Hayden holding up the struggling Stitch in his hand. The match was over, Gryffindor had won and it hadn't been a repeat performance of Dementors. Orion should have known the moment he hadn't felt any of the intense cold that something wasn't right.

Lying in a crumpled heap on the ground were Draco, Vincent Crabbe, Gregory Goyle, and Marcus Flint who were all struggling to remove themselves from the long, black, hooded robes. It had been nothing more than a cruel prank to cost Gryffindor the match. Just when you think Draco can't sink any lower. Orion could only stare as Professor McGonagall, Remus, Mrs. Potter, Professor Dumbledore and Professor Snape approached them. From the look on Professors McGonagall and Snape's faces, Orion knew the Slytherins were in a mountain of trouble.

As Professor McGonagall began shouting, Orion hurried out of the stands to meet up with Remus. It didn't take too long to find him. All Orion had to do was find Hayden. Unfortunately, Mrs. Potter was standing beside him—not that Orion expected anything else. There had just been another scare, even if it was just a group of Slytherins acting thick.

"—I'm very proud of you Hayden," Remus said with a smile. "Not many could even attempt what you did while in the air."

Hayden grinned. "I didn't get a chance to see," he said eagerly. "Did it have a form?"

"No Hayden," Remus said gently. "It was a vast improvement to what you have been creating in lessons but there was no definite form yet." Remus glanced over his shoulder with a grin on his face. "Yours also improved, Orion. For a moment I thought I saw a certain set of legs…"

Orion could only return the grin as he stepped beside Remus. He should have known that Shadow would be his Patronus. "I'm not really surprised," he admitted. "That seems to be a pattern."

Remus winked. "I'm glad you managed to overcome whatever was blocking you," he said as he rested a hand on Orion's shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "Now, I believe one of the infamous after-game parties is about to begin in the Gryffindor Common Room. I would hate to hear of you two missing any of the excitement."

Orion and Hayden shared a grin. The 'excitement' would most likely be centered on Fred and George. It seemed that Fred and George would have their chance to display some of their 'distractions' after all. With a quick goodbye, both boys hurried out of the stadium to find their friends. When Fred and George were involved, it was better to stay in a large group.

* * *

It seemed as though the party would never end. It had gone on for the rest of the day and well into the night. Fred and George had been surprisingly tame as far as pranks had been concerned and had even managed to sneak out and come back after a few hours with armfuls of bottles of butterbeer, pumpkin fizz and several bags full of Honeydukes sweets. Orion and Hayden couldn't help sharing a knowing look while everyone asked how Fred and George pulled it off. A little help from the Marauders could apparently go a long way.

The only person who didn't enjoy themselves during the party was Hermione. Orion had tried to convince her to take a break from mountains of schoolwork but she insisted that she was already too far behind in her classes. Orion had to work hard to refrain from saying 'I told you so'. Hermione was clearly pushing herself too hard but she refused to admit it.

The party finally ended when Professor McGonagall entered the Gryffindor Tower at one in the morning, demanding that they all go to bed. Orion was only too happy to oblige. It had been too loud to even attempt sleeping in the dorms before. Being one of the first in the room, Orion quickly cast silencing charms around his four poster bed before climbing in. Hayden and Ron were still discussing the match and sounded wide awake. All Orion could think about was sleep. Sleep was good.

It was strange. There was a breeze but why would there be a breeze? Something caressed his hair and face…almost too soft to notice. A groan escaped his lips as he rolled over and buried his face in his pillow. That was when he felt it. Something washed over him—something that felt like a spell. He wanted to grab his wand but his body felt so heavy…too heavy. This isn't good but who would know…

A thin hand pushed him onto his back followed by a thin arm burrowing underneath his shoulders and shakily raised his head off the bed. A stench that Orion couldn't identify reached his nose. He wanted to cringe away but his body wouldn't move. It was maddening—to be able to know something was wrong but unable to do anything about it.

"You look so much like him," a raspy woman's voice whispered. "Him and his father—my uncle. If only…if only you had been mine…you would have been raised properly—defending our Lord instead of spoilt children." A cold and wet finger ran down his face. "But there's still time—oh yes. Our Lord will welcome you—I know he will."

Panic didn't even touch the chaos running though Orion. How had Bellatrix Lestrange entered the Gryffindor Tower? How was this possible? Think Orion! There must be some way—but how—oh blast it all!

There was another wave of magic before Orion felt the bedcovers being removed and he was lifted off the bed. This isn't good! Not good at all! A bony arm rested beneath his knees and another under his shoulders. Wetness quickly soaked the right side of Orion's pajamas. The stench surrounded him as he felt Bellatrix moving towards the door. He was trapped in this state of helplessness—unable to do anything but hope that someone would be patrolling the halls.

Bellatrix didn't falter as she left the dorm room and strolled down the stairs. With every step, Orion could only contemplate what she would do to him. Would she modify his memory—taking away the only family he'd ever known? Would she torture him until he gave into her demands? Wait a minute, this was Bellatrix Lestrange—one of Voldemort's more sadistic Death Eaters. Of course she would.

As soon as Bellatrix pushed the portrait entrance open, however, Orion's hopes soared as the portrait of Sir Cadogan awoke. "W—what?" he asked groggily. "Who goes there—" Bellatrix hurried out of the entrance and continued down the hall without pausing—"Madam! Unhand that child or I shall be forced to challenge you to a duel! Madam!"

Bellatrix picked up her pace and, from the sounds of, Sir Caldogan was trying to follow her through to portraits. Orion tried to force himself to move in an attempt to make it even a fraction more difficult from Bellatrix but his body just wouldn't respond. It was like invisible weights were attached, holding him down. If she got out of the castle—Don't think about that! Fight now! Think later!

"Sir Caldogan, what is the meaning of this!" the stern voice of Professor McGonagall called out.

"Professor!" Sir Caldogan shouted. "There is foul game afoot! Follow me!"

"What in the—Merlin's beard!" Professor McGonagall exclaimed. "Bellatrix Lestrange!"

Orion felt himself being spun around as he was quickly repositioned to be carried with only one arm. The relief that had flooded him was quickly replaced with horror when he realized that Bellatrix had a wand and had every intention of using the darkest spells she knew if it meant being able to escape.

"You can't stop me!" Bellatrix hissed. "He's mine!"

Suddenly, Professor McGonagall's voice echoed throughout the hall. "ALL STAFF REPORT TO THE CORRIDOR OUTSIDE—"

"Crucio!" Bellatrix shouted.

Orion stopped breathing as he heard a movement before Professor McGonagall's voice continued.

"—GRYFFINDOR TOWER IMMEDIATELY! LESTRANGE SPOTTED WITH HOSTAGE!!!

"Crucio!" Bellatrix shouted again.

More movement but no screaming which was Orion's only sign that Professor McGonagall hadn't been hit with the Unforgivable Curse. There was a flash of light that lit up the corridor. Judging from what Orion could make out from behind closed eyes, Professor McGonagall was at least attempting to fight back.

Bellatrix let out a mocking laugh. "It will take more than a stunning spell to get him back, McGonagall!" There was another flash of light followed shortly by a feeling of something tugging Orion out of Bellatrix's hands. "A Summoning Charm? Is that the best you can do? I thought this one meant something to you!"

Hurried footsteps could be heard in the distance but Orion was more concerned about where he currently was. Bellatrix was toying with Professor McGonagall in hopes to get her to make a mistake that would allow Bellatrix to go in for the easy victory.

"Hand over the child, Lestrange!" Professor McGonagall ordered. "You don't want him in your arms when his father and uncle arrive!"

Bellatrix laughed again. "The blood traitor and the werewolf? They wouldn't dare attack me with him in my arms. I couldn't have chosen better! My second cousin will make a perfect son for the Dark Lord!"

Professor McGonagall gasped. "You're mad! Orion would never—"

"—Crucio!" Bellatrix interrupted.

This time the spell hit its mark. Professor McGonagall's screams filled the corridor. Orion could only listen, knowing that those screams would haunt his nightmares.

"Expelliarmus!" Remus' voice shouted.

Orion felt Bellatrix's body jerk as her wand left her fingers. "NO!" Bellatrix screamed stepping backwards.

"Not another step, Bellatrix," the voice of Professor Dumbledore said firmly. It was a tone Orion had never heard from his Grandfather. Suddenly, Orion knew he was saved. "Put Orion down. There will be no escaping for you. You are on the seventh floor. Jumping out the window is not an option."

"Oh, I don't have to jump, Dumbledore," Bellatrix said in a strangely confident voice. "If I can't have him, none of you can either."

A loud gasp filled the silence. "Please!" the voice of Mrs. Potter pleaded. "He's just a boy!"

"What will killing Orion gain for you, Bellatrix?" Professor Dumbledore asked. "Throwing him out the window won't distract all of us."

"Stay away Dumbledore!" Bellatrix screeched. "You know I'll do it! I've heard whispers about him! I know my dear cousin is training him to be what the precious boy-who-lived can't! If he won't serve the Dark Lord then he shall die!!!"

"This is your last chance, Bellatrix," Professor Dumbledore warned.

There was silence for what felt like hours but was most likely only one short moment before chaos ensued. Bellatrix moved, spells were shouted, different colored light lit the corridor and a familiar growl was heard. Something large ran into Bellatrix causing her to drop Orion as she flew backwards into the wall. Orion's head hit the floor hard and a ringing filled his ears. Arms wrapped around him and cautiously lifted his upper body off the floor. Voices filled the air but there were too many to make out. Fingers gently caressed his face before someone unfamiliar pulled him close and buried their face in his hair.

The ringing intensified. The pounding began. Unconsciousness was welcomed.

* * *


	11. Aftermath

Chapter 11

Aftermath

It was like a swarm of bees that wouldn't go away no matter how much bug spray you used. Orion wanted to yell for the voices to go away but his body wouldn't let him. The return of semi-consciousness brought a few quick realizations Firstly, Orion had been rescued from his captor and had been relocated to the Hospital Wing. Secondly, he still couldn't move so the mysterious spell Bellatrix had cast still hadn't been removed. And thirdly, there seemed to be a crowd around his bed and none of them would shut up!

"Shouldn't he be awake by now?" the voice of Hermione asked worriedly. "It's been hours!"

"Mum said there may be a spell on him—like there was on us," the voice of Hayden said softly. "They're trying to find the counter-spell."

"I hope they find it soon," Neville said anxiously. "To think—she was there—she could have done anything to us and Orion—"

"—don't start, Neville," Hayden interrupted. "Try being caught in a dream of it happening and not being able to wake up. It was like I was actually there…like it was happening to me."

Silence filled the room for a moment. "Have you asked Madam Pomfrey, Hayden?" Hermione asked gently. "I mean, that can't be normal, can it?"

A sigh was heard. "Since when have I been normal?" Hayden countered. "None of you dreamt about it?"

"No mate," Ron answered nervously, "but you know how I sleep. I didn't even know something happened until your mum woke me this morning."

"Me too," Neville added. "Remus said that it was supposed to be that way. We would stay asleep until the spell was countered. Maybe you should talk to Remus. You know he'd never judge you if something sounds too weird. He's helped raise Orion. He's used to weird."

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked quickly. "From what I've seen, Orion's never been weird."

A snort was heard. "Are you blind, Hermione?" Neville asked dryly. "Orion's never been normal. After he was adopted Sirius had to put him through so many tests because he had so many problems with accidental magic. Something went wrong with the potion. He didn't remember anything from before he was adopted. Try being a five-year-old and not knowing anything about where you were, who you were and who the people around you were. I remember spending days at Grams instead of Black Manor because Sirius and Remus were with him at St. Mungo's to keep him calm during testing."

Orion seriously wanted to cast a Silencing Charm on Neville. He really didn't want everyone knowing about his odd childhood. After all, it didn't affect him now. Why should what happen when he was five matter now?

"What was wrong?" Hermione asked in a hushed voice.

"I don't think they ever found out," Neville answered. "Sirius and Remus started teaching Orion spells and the accidental magic got better. They tried to teach me but I wasn't as strong as Ori. He just soaked everything up. It was actually rather funny when he mastered the Silencing Charm. Sirius was teasing him and Orion got mad so he cast it with a little too much power. Remus couldn't stop laughing for almost ten minutes. After that, there was no stopping Orion. He was able to cast any spell Remus taught him—no matter how difficult it should've been."

"Is that why Orion's so frustrated with Remus' lessons now?" Hayden asked.

"Yeah," Neville muttered. "It's the first time he's struggled with a spell. He's probably going to kill me for telling you all this. Ori's always hated people talking about him."

_Then stop talking about me!_

The sound of the door opening put a quick end to the conversation until Hayden spoke up. "Hi Mum. Have they found the counter-spell yet?"

"Professor Dumbledore and Professor Lupin believe so," Mrs. Potter said patiently. "They're testing the spells a few more times before trying them out on Orion. Shouldn't you all be working on schoolwork?"

"But Mum!" the voice of Rose protested. "We're worried about Orion! We want to be here when he wakes up!"

"Rose," Mrs. Potter warned. "I don't think Orion will be ready for visitors until tomorrow at the earliest. Perhaps it would be best to give him some peace and quiet."

"But—"

"—I know, Hayden," Mrs. Potter said gently. "Please, just give Orion and his father some time before bombarding him with questions."

The sound of the door opening again distracted everyone. Orion knew he would have been visibly fidgeting if it had been possible. What had Bellatrix Lestrange done to him? What sort of dark magic had she done that Professor Dumbledore had to research to counter? Orion knew that many members of the Black family were renowned for their knowledge of black magic but he had never thought it would ever be used on him which had been naive thinking on his part.

"Amos!" Mrs. Potter said in surprise. "What brings you here?"

"A combination of Cedric and Amelia," Mr. Diggory answered. "I've been reassigned to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement for the time being. Amelia assigned me to be a liaison between the Ministry and the Hogwarts team. Cedric has spent the last hour trying to convince me that it would be best to have Orion moved to Hufflepuff until Pettigrew is found. Of course, that is if Sirius allows Orion to remain at Hogwarts."

"B—but Orion's a Gryffindor!" Ron exclaimed.

"I believe Orion's safety is a little more important than house loyalty," Mr. Diggory said firmly. "None of you should even be here. Aren't students supposed to be in their Common Rooms until the new security measures are complete?"

"They were just leaving," Mrs. Potter said gently. "Come along, children. I'll walk you back."

"But—"

"—Hayden," Mrs. Potter warned. "Orion will find you when he's ready to talk."

Sounds of people moving around followed by footsteps filled Orion's ears. He could hear Hayden and Ron grumbling softly and would have rolled his eyes if anyone would have been able to see it. Didn't they understand? Bellatrix Lestrange had been in their dorm last night! She could have killed them or worse! Why didn't they comprehend that?

Someone grasped Orion's right hand and squeezed gently. "I'm going to bet you can hear me, Ori," Mr. Diggory said seriously. "I know it must be frustrating trapped in there but it won't be much longer. I should let you know that your father is considering Cedric's offer but the final decision is Dumbledore's. Lestrange was captured and is at the Ministry. She refuses to tell us anything of importance but we were able to find out that it was Pettigrew who let her into the Gryffindor Tower. He must have snuck in during the party and waited until everyone went to bed."

_Of course. Who would pay attention when there was a party going on?_

"I won't go into specifics," Mr. Diggory continued. "I'll leave that for your father. I just want you to know that you don't have to worry about Lestrange, Ori. We have her and she's under constant watch until her sentence is decided." The sound of the door opening silenced Mr. Diggory for a moment. "I trust the testing is complete?"

"As complete as we can go," the voice of Remus said tiredly. "Sirius wasn't willing to take any chances and I have to agree with him. Amos, if you would—"

"—oh! Of course Remus."

There was a shuffling before Orion felt it. There was a wave of magic washing over him, making his entire body feel like it was on pins and needles. Frowning in confusion, Orion tried to move his limbs but they were just too heavy. What in Merlin's beard was going on?

"Amos, massage Orion's left arm," Remus instructed. "I'll work on his right. We need to get the blood flowing properly."

Hands started rubbing his shoulders and worked their way down to his fingers. Little by little, Orion felt the pins and needles sensation lessen on his arms. His hands twitched in a mixture of impatience and excitement. Now that he knew that movement was possible that was all he wanted to do.

"I know you're eager cub," Remus said gently. "Please be patient for us for just a little bit longer. Try to slowly move your fingers while we work on your legs."

Orion's mouth opened slightly, allowing him to let out a soft moan in acknowledgement. He focused on his task while the numbness continued to slowly vanish. By the time he was able to make a complete fist without much effort, the heaviness had left. Orion wanted to jump out of bed and run around but—for some weird reason—felt like such an action would require more energy than what he had to spare.

"Orion?" Remus asked softly. "Can you open your eyes for us?"

Frowning in concentration, Orion tried to force his eyes open. They moved ever so slowly. At first, Orion could see slivers of light only to close his lids and see a little bit more when he tried again. The process continued until Orion was able to see two concerned faces staring at him. Remus looked beyond exhausted. There were dark circled under his eyes and his hair was a mess. Orion had a feeling that Remus hadn't slept since Bellatrix had been apprehended.

"Ori?" Mr. Diggory asked cautiously. "How are you feeling?"

Orion didn't have to think long to answer. "Tired," he said groggily. "Why'm I tired?"

Remus let out a relieved breath. "Your body hasn't been able to actually rest since the spell was cast, cub," he said as he ran his fingers through Orion's hair. "Your dad and Madam Pomfrey should be here shortly. Once your exam is finished, we'll move you to my quarters for the rest of the day."

Orion slowly nodded in agreement. He had to admit he wasn't looking forward to what was most likely awaiting him in the Gryffindor Tower. _And the Hufflepuffs too._ Orion could see it already. Cedric, Justin, Ernie, Susan and Hannah were probably going mad with worry and wouldn't let him out of their sight for a while. _They'll have to get in line after Dad…and Remus…and Grandad too._

Remus had been right. It hadn't been a long wait for Sirius to arrive—along with most of the teaching staff. Orion could barely keep his eyes open as decisions were talked about and Madam Pomfrey checked him over before agreeing that he could be moved to Remus' quarters, which was the only confirmation Sirius needed. Orion let out a soft groan in protest before burying his face in Sirius' chest. At that moment, Orion really didn't care what tomorrow would bring. Sirius and Remus would keep him safe…just like they always did.

* * *

For the next few days, Orion was restricted to Remus' quarters which had been turned into a sanctuary for Sirius' team. The entire team was at Hogwarts to once again investigate the castle and grounds. At first, Orion was grateful for the separation but he quickly became bored with his only company being exhausted adults. Neville, Cedric, Hayden, Hermione, Ron and Rose were allowed to visit, of course, once they were checked to make sure nothing had cast anything on them or anything had been slipped into their school bags.

All in all, Orion thought Sirius was going a little overboard with the security. Being trapped in Remus' quarters wouldn't be a smart move on Pettigrew's part.

While working on schoolwork, Orion was able to catch up with what had been happening outside Remus' quarters. The Fat Lady was back at the entrance of Gryffindor Tower, all portraits were instructed to keep an eye out for anything suspicious and a team of Aurors had helped Sirius' team board up everything from tiny cracks in the walls to mouse holes as well as cast several spells set to go off should anything be disturbed. Sirius' team was normally spotted patrolling the halls with their wands in hand. That small fact had completely changed the atmosphere at Hogwarts. Everyone seemed to be on edge.

"I think it's mostly because you haven't been seen yet, Ori," Hermione said matter-of-factly. "No one will relax until you come out of lockdown."

Orion snorted. "I don't think that will happen soon," he admitted. "Dad's really scared. We've had close calls in the past but nothing like this. I think it's because we expected Hayden to be the target, not me."

"Your dad's not the only one," Cedric added. "My dad told me that the entire department is in a frenzy. They're all demanding Lestrange gets the Kiss. They don't want her getting another chance at you. You don't realize how many people in the Magical Law Enforcement Department want to protect you."

Orion stared at Cedric with a raised eyebrow. "Seriously?" he asked, dumbfounded. "Other than Uncle Frank, Aunt Alice, Dad's team, Uncle Al, and maybe Mr. Lion—"

"—who?" Cedric asked in confusion.

"Scrimgeour, Dad's boss," Orion answered with a smile. "I was six when I met him and I had a problem keeping my big mouth shut. My dad introduced me to him and I bluntly told him he looked like a lion so I would call him Mr. Lion since I couldn't pronounce his real name. Dad was horrified but Scrimgeour thought it was hilarious. He told me that it would be our secret."

Hayden stared at Orion in shock. "Scrimgeour?" he asked. "I didn't think he had a joking side."

Orion shrugged his shoulders. "I think he was just trying to help Dad out. Everyone in the Department knew my story and knew it wasn't easy for Dad."

"So do you think Lestrange will get the Dementor's Kiss?" Rose asked quietly.

Orion shrugged his shoulders. "I think it all depends on how much money Lucius Malfoy's willing to give up," he said bluntly. "She is his sister-in-law."

Neville finally spoke up. "It's not that simple, Orion," he said quietly. "She attacked the Black family heir. By pureblood law, she should be disowned from the line. This leaves the Malfoy's in a predicament. If they support Mrs. Malfoy's sister, Mrs. Malfoy and Draco risk also being disowned which will negate any inheritance from the Black family line. If they don't support her, Lestrange will most likely receive the Kiss. It really depends on how strict Sirius wants to be to pureblood traditions."

"You forgot about You-Know-Who, Neville," Ron added. "Lestrange made it clear that she follows him still and the Malfoys have tried to separate from that ever since You-Know-Who vanished. Supporting Lestrange would be like having You-Know-Who's mark on their foreheads."

Orion had to admit he was surprised that Ron had figured out what was really influencing the Malfoys. They had enough money from the Malfoy line to be concerned about any inheritance from the Black line. Repairing the image after Voldemort's fall had taken a lot of time and money. Throwing it all away when there was no sure sign that Voldemort would return any time soon…

"How's Draco been?" Orion asked quietly.

Hayden and Ron shared a look. "We haven't really been looking," Hayden admitted, "but he hasn't been taunting us like normal. I don't remember even seeing him in the last few days."

Orion frowned thoughtfully. "That means he knows about the situation but not the decision," he said quietly. "I'm glad Dad and I are outcasts in our family. I wouldn't want to be the Malfoys right now."

There was a soft knock before the door opened to reveal Mr. Potter. "Oh!" he said in surprise. "Hello kids. What are all of you doing here? It's almost curfew."

"Homework Dad," Hayden answered. "I told you that earlier when you stopped me in the hall."

Mr. Potter hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Right," he said absentmindedly. "I'm sorry son. I guess I'm a little tired. Look, it's the end of my shift so how about I walk you all back to your houses?"

Orion couldn't hold back a smile as everyone grumbled while packing up their schoolwork. He knew they enjoyed spending time in Remus' quarters—away from the prying eyes. It also helped that members of Sirius' team tended to help them whenever they were around. It had been hard to keep from laughing when Kingsley had tried to help them with a Potions assignment. Kingsley was probably the most intimidating looking member of Sirius' team but was a clear example that appearances were deceiving. His patience could rival Remus' and his sense of humor could rival Sirius'.

As his friends slowly filed out of his room, Orion had to admit that this entire situation could have been a lot worse. Yes, he was secluded from the school with very little contact with his friends but at least he was still at Hogwarts. Sirius hadn't tried to lock him up in Black Manor…yet.

Orion followed the crowd to the entrance and bid goodbye as they left one by one. Cedric took the time to ruffle Orion's hair, Neville lightly punched Orion's shoulder and Rose grasped Orion's hand for a brief moment before letting go. Orion had to restrain from frowning at the action. Out of all his friends, Rose seemed to be one of the most affected. Hayden and fumbled through explaining that—for some weird reason—Rose thought of Orion as another brother that had been untouchable before now. Realizing that Orion was just as vulnerable as Hayden had brought about a new level of fear that everyone was feeling to some extent.

No one at Hogwarts was safe.

That was probably the largest eye opener. Everyone had really assumed that _Hayden _was the target. Measures had been taken to protect _Hayden_. What if Pettigrew went after any of them instead? Unlikely? Possibly, but no one knew for certain anymore. The not knowing was enough to put everyone on edge.

Mr. Potter was the last to reach the entrance, only to hesitate and cast a cautious glance at Orion. This was probably the only aspect of Orion's seclusion that he was extremely uncomfortable with: the constant presence of Mr. and Mrs. Potter. It wouldn't have been so bad if they didn't have a habit of hovering so much. It just made everything so awkward.

"Will you be all right for a few minutes, Orion?" Mr. Potter asked gently.

Orion stared at Mr. Potter incredulously. "I'll manage," he said defensively. "Dad and Remus have already set up wards should I ever be in here alone."

Mr. Potter flinched slightly before nodding and leaving. The look on Mr. Potter's face made Orion want to scream. Why was Mr. Potter trying so hard now? Did he just feel bad because of what happened or was there something else going on? Orion had to admit that the Potters were some of the strangest people he had ever met. They seemed to be so used to their secrets that they never felt a need to explain their confusing actions. Only the Potters felt the need to check on him after every shift. Only the Potters seemed to second guess Sirius' decisions. Only the Potters tried to insist that Orion talk about what happened.

Only the Potters look like their sanity was on the precipice. That was what made Orion the most uncomfortable since they had no reason to feel that way. It wasn't like it had been Hayden or Rose attacked. Why did the Potters feel the need to ignore the boundaries Sirius had set up when Mr. Potter had joined the team now?

"Orion?" a soft voice asked.

Jumping in surprise, Orion quickly turned around to see Mrs. Potter staring at him worriedly. _Great. If it isn't one it's the other._

"Is everything all right?" Mrs. Potter asked gently. "I've been trying to get your attention for the last few minutes."

"Yes, Mrs. Potter," Orion said with a tense smile. "I was just lost in thought." He took a cautious step towards his room. "If you'll excuse me, I'm rather tired." As he hurried into his room, Orion forced himself to ignore the hurt look on Mrs. Potter's face. This was getting ridiculous. _Next chance, I'm talking to Dad about this._

* * *

The 'next chance', unfortunately, didn't occur until the following weekend. Orion had finally released from Remus' quarters a few days ago but he couldn't help noticing that a member of Sirius' team wasn't ever too far away. Of course, that wasn't really necessary since his friends made an effort to never leave him alone. Meals were spent at the Hufflepuff table and the library had become the only place big enough for the large study sessions that had a combination of Gryffindor and Hufflepuff students.

Due to the break-in, Hogsmeade visits had been put on a temporary hold for security reasons. No one was particularly happy about that so Remus arranged for some practical lessons in the Great Hall for any who were interested. Sirius and Kingsley had taken post as supervisors which gave Orion the perfect opportunity to sneak away from Remus' demonstration. As soon as Orion reached his father, a tired grin appeared on Sirius' face.

"Hi Shadow," Sirius said quietly as he pulled Orion close and wrapped an arm around him. "How are you doing?"

Orion stared up at Sirius with a smile on his face. "I'm good," he said with a shrug. "It's a little suffocating but I know everyone's just worried. Have you heard anything from Uncle Amos?"

Sirius let out a long sigh. "No, but I have a feeling that he's trying to spare me bad news rather than there being no news at all," he admitted. "There should have been a decision by now."

Orion frowned sympathetically. "Do you really want to know?" he asked. "I know she's insane and she tried to take me but she's still family—"

"—no, Orion," Sirius said firmly. "She's not a part of our family. Family's not only about blood. You know this. Remus is family, the Longbottoms are family, the Diggorys are family...even the team is more of a family to us than Bella and Cissa will ever be. I want to know for Andy's sake. This has to be hard on her too."

"Have you talked to Andy or Dora?" Orion asked curiously. Sirius didn't talk much about Andromeda Tonks, the only cousin that he was on speaking terms with. She had been disowned for marrying a Muggle-born wizard, Ted Tonks. Their daughter Nymphadora Tonks was currently in Auror training, a choice that had surprised everyone. Dora had never been the most graceful of witches.

Sirius shook his shook his head briefly as his gaze shifted to the crowd of students watching Remus. "I've written and they've written back," he said quietly. "They don't blame me—I know that much. I think Andy gave up hope that her sisters would ever turn away from Voldemort a long time ago."

Orion frowned. He knew there was more to the story but also knew that his father wasn't about to tell him any of it. It was one of those 'adult only' things. _Moving onto the next topic then…_ "Dad, did—have you spoken to the Potters lately?" Orion asked cautiously.

Sirius' gaze immediately returned to Orion. "Why do you ask?" he asked quickly. "Have they done something—said something?"

Orion bit his lower lip nervously. "They haven't done anything…exactly," he said uncomfortably. "It's just—they're always around, always asking questions and trying to get me to talk to them. I guess I didn't know if things had changed and you were friends with them again." Orion paused for a moment before adding, "You didn't tell me."

Sirius groaned. "I swear they just can't take a hint," he muttered. "Nothing's changed, Ori. They've approached me a few times asking if you were talking to anyone about what happened. I told them to leave it alone. Obviously, they didn't listen."

"I don't understand," Orion admitted in confusion. "Why would they think I would ever talk to them? You're here…Remus is here…Grandad's here. If I really wanted to, I could talk to Cedric or Neville. They know me better than anyone. If I wanted to talk about it, I'd talk to family—not strangers!"

"Do you want to talk about it?" Sirius asked gently.

Orion let out an annoyed huff. "No!" he cried in a hushed voice. "I don't want to talk about it! I don't want to say how it felt to be so helpless to a nutter like Bellatrix Lestrange! I don't want to talk about how hard it is to sleep in my bed even after all the spells you cast! I don't want to talk about how much I hate this! I hate being helpless!"

Arms wrapped tightly around Orion, forcing him to bury his face in Sirius' chest. That was the root of it all. Orion hated felling like he was Hayden or any other child that needed someone to save them. That wasn't why Sirius and Remus spent so much time training him. He was supposed to be able to defend himself!

"Sirius? Is everything all right?"

Orion cringed at hearing Professor Dumbledore's voice. He really didn't want his Grandfather to see this.

"Not at the moment, Albus," Sirius said softly. "Orion's trying to cope with some aspects a little earlier than the rest of us."

"Ah, yes," Professor Dumbledore said thoughtfully. "I seem to recall that you had difficulties adjusting to being the prey rather than the predator during Auror training, Sirius." A gentle hand rested on Orion's shoulder. "Being helpless is something that everyone struggles with, Orion. All we can do is our best. There will always be a bigger fish, if you do not mind my saying. Every predator is prey to something larger. Focus on your strengths, my boy. That is all any of us can do."

It made sense if you really thought about it. Orion's instinct was to be a hunter. He hadn't been hunted before Bellatrix Lestrange and had settled in the mentality that he never would be. It had been arrogant to think so. If—no—when Voldemort returned, Orion _would _become the hunted. He came from a powerful family that openly stood side-by-side with the-boy-who-lived. He would be walking around with a target attached to his back…they all were.

_Then I better start working hard to make sure I can put up one hell of a fight._

_

* * *

_


	12. Priorities

Chapter 12

Priorities

The decision had been reached Monday morning. Lucius Malfoy had asked for one thing for his sister-in-law: an examination to prove that Azkaban had damaged her mentally and as a result unable to be responsible of her actions. This news hadn't settled well with Sirius or Neville. For Sirius, this put more pressure on him as Head of the Black family to make a decision regarding Bellatrix's actions. For Neville, the thought that Bellatrix could get away with her actions because of a technicality was too much to bear. After all, she was the reason Frank Longbottom was still in the final stages of recovery from nerve damage.

With as distraught as Neville was, Orion did the only thing he could think of. He approached the situation rationally. After all, even if Bellatrix was found to be mentally unstable (something that Orion already knew was the case), there was still the problem of the public's safety. Bellatrix never hid her devotion to Voldemort. This made her a danger to everyone who opposed him—and their children. There was no place to put her without her being a danger to someone other than Azkaban.

Of course, Draco didn't help matters at all. He had no problem displaying how much he approved of his father's actions in Care of Magical Creatures. A few curses and a slap in the face from Hermione later, Draco learned to keep his mouth shut around the third year Gryffindors. Everyone was shocked that Hermione resorted to physical violence—everyone other than Orion, that is. He could see that she was at the end of her rope. Taking so many classes was really taking a toll on her.

As they rushed to Charms, Orion glanced around for Hermione only to find that she was gone. That wasn't good. Had she forgotten that he needed to go to Ancient Runes too? Thinking fast, Orion quickly gave Professor Flitwick an excuse of checking on Hermione then ran to the Ancient Runes classroom only to find that Hermione was already seated. Frustrated, Orion snuck into the classroom and shot an angry look at Hermione who looked horrified. She muttered an apology before taking notes for the rest of the class.

Making it to Charms was tricky. Orion and Hermione had to time it perfectly so that Orion didn't run into his past self. They managed to only miss a few minutes of Charms which was a good thing. They were experimenting with Cheering Charms—something both of them desperately needed. By the end of class, Orion was in a slightly better mood but no amount of apologizing could make Orion feel any better when it came to Hermione. She really needed to get her priorities straight. What was the point of taking every class if doing so pushed you to the point that you weren't your best in any of them?

Orion watched his fellow Gryffindors leave for Divination, relieved that he had the time free to work off his agitation. He spent the time in Remus' quarters practicing the Patronus Charm and by then end, Orion figured out that he wasn't upset with Hermione forgetting about him, he was upset that he had warned her about this and she still refused to listen to him.

Evidently, Hermione's day only got worse in Divination. Orion got the story multiple times and it was never the same. He was finally able to get the actual story from Hermione once she calmed down enough. Professor Trelawney had once again used Hayden as her victim which made Hermione snap. She had words with Professor Trelawney before walking out of the class. Orion had to admit he was relieved. That was one less class to stress her out about.

The Easter holiday wasn't a holiday at all for the third years. They had at least one assignment in every class. Cedric wasn't able to help since his O.W.L.s were right around the corner and Remus was busy preparing for material that would be needed to prepare his students for exams. This left Orion to do what he could to help Neville, Hayden, Ron and even Rose. Hermione was too stressed to even ask so they just left her to her own devices.

Orion was suddenly grateful he was nearly two years ahead in his magical education.

Hayden probably had it the worst since he also had to fit in his Quidditch practices. The Gryffindor-Slytherin match was scheduled on the following Saturday so there wasn't much time. Slytherin was leading the tournament by exactly two hundred points which put a lot more pressure on Hayden. They needed to win the match by more than two hundred points so not only did he have to catch the Snitch, he had to catch it when Gryffindor had more than a fifty point lead.

At the moment, Orion was glad he was only the reserve Seeker. He didn't need to attend every practice and he didn't have the weight that Oliver had shoved on Hayden's shoulders. To Orion, a game of Quidditch just wasn't worth that when there were so many other more important things to worry about.

It was hard to ignore the intense atmosphere that had settled in Hogwarts for the week of the match. There was so much tension between Gryffindor and Slytherin that it could be cut with a sword and nearly was a few times. There were a number of fights that broke out that resulted to quite a few detentions and trips to the hospital wing. The Slytherins were taking the divide and conquer approach. They were trying to catch Hayden and Orion unaware in order to take out both Seekers.

Cedric had been the one to point out the obvious. While they feared Hayden on a broom, rumors of Orion's flying ability made them fear Orion more. As a result, the Gryffindors stuck to Hayden like glue while the Hufflepuffs stuck to Orion. Orion thought it was a little ridiculous but he wasn't going to complain. Monitoring duty was really the only time he was able to see Cedric or his friends from the Hufflepuff house.

By the morning of the match, Orion could only wish for it all to be over. He was one of the first to get up and one of the first to enter the Great Hall. He was relieved that he could at least have a little bit of time to himself. It was sad. Orion was only thirteen and he was already looking forward to peace and quiet. When did he suddenly become old?

Students constantly fluttered into the Great Hall in groups and it wasn't long before Orion's solitude was interrupted by Cedric, Justin and Susan. Justin was an absolute riot, cracking jokes on what possible ailments the Slytherin team had when they caught sight of the Gryffindor team enter the Great Hall. Orion had to admit all of them looked pale and constipated.

When it was time to head to the stadium, Orion was surprised to see that Cedric, Justin and Susan didn't leave his side. They walked with him to the Gryffindor corner of the stands and remained at his side along with Neville and Ron. It was a perfect day for Quidditch. There was no wind although the sun could be a bit of a problem for Hayden.

The entire stadium erupted in cheers as the Gryffindors walked out onto the field. The reception for the Slytherins wasn't as friendly. Even Lee Jordan, the normal commentator, wasn't holding anything back. Orion kept his eyes on the field and watched as both teams took off at the sound of Madam Hooch's whistle while the balls were released. Orion and Cedric were immediately searching for the Snitch.

Gryffindor scored first followed by Slytherin making the first penalty. Of course Fred decided to take revenge so both teams had a penalty shot. With a nicely aimed shot from Alicia and a good save by Oliver, Gryffindor was up by twenty. Orion took the opportunity to return to Snitch hunting. He could only hope that Hayden managed to spot it before Draco although that was highly possible. It looked like Draco was watching Hayden rather than the Snitch. That wasn't good. That meant that Draco would probably play dirty as soon as Hayden spotted it.

"And there's another penalty," Cedric muttered. "This isn't going to be pretty."

"Welcome to the Gryffindor-Slytherin rivalry," Orion shot back. "It's never pretty."

Katie took the next penalty shot and made it. Thirty points up. It was then that Hayden took off towards the Slytherin end of the field with Draco following him closely. Orion desperately searched for the Snitch but couldn't see a hint of gold. Hayden was gaining ground until one of the Bludgers flew past Hayden's right ear followed by the other that grazed Hayden's elbow. Where were Fred and George? They were supposed to keep Hayden safe!

The Slytherin Beaters closed in on Hayden only for him to dive at the last second causing the Beaters to collide. Orion let out a relieved sigh and heard Cedric do the same. "I'm glad I'm in Hufflepuff," Cedric admitted. "Slytherin is never this bad with us."

The Gryffindor crowd was screaming and cheering so loud that Orion was sure his ears would be ringing for hours afterwards. Slytherin finally got the Quaffle past Oliver, lessening the lead to twenty points which had been the incentive Slytherin needed to do everything in their power to get the Quaffle. It quickly turned into the dirtiest game of Quidditch Orion had ever seen which was saying a lot. Slytherin would pull something first causing Fred or George to retaliate. It was really only because of Oliver's spectacular saves that Gryffindor kept gaining a lead.

Slytherin seemed to realize as much and shifted their tactics to attack Oliver. Madam Hooch wasn't happy in the slightest. There was another penalty which gave Gryffindor a fifty point lead. Alicia threw the Quaffle through the Slytherin's goal moments later giving Gryffindor the lead they needed. Orion immediately focused all his attention on looking for the Snitch, praying that Hayden had a better view from as high up as he was. Draco wasn't too far away, marking Hayden instead of the Snitch. Orion's fingers twitched for his wand. He had never wanted to curse Draco as much as he did now.

Suddenly, Hayden took off upwards and Orion spotted it. The Snitch was sparkling twenty feet above him. He was almost there only to have Draco grab the tail of Hayden's broom. Orion cursed. Now he really wanted to curse Draco. Hayden evidently noticed that his broom was slowing down and did something only Orion would consider doing. He rebalanced himself and jumped, reaching for the Snitch.

Silence filled the stadium as Hayden's fingers wrapped around the Snitch and then the cheering began—from everyone but Orion. Orion could only stare in horror as Hayden started to fall, looking for his broom but not find it where it was supposed to be. Draco had pulled it out of reach.

Orion's wand was in hand in a flash. "Cedric!" he yelled as he pointed his wand at Hayden. "_Wingardium Leviosa_!"

Cedric echoed the spell and they both watched as Hayden's descent halted. Madam Hooch instantly blew her whistle and Fred and George were quickly at Hayden's side with Hayden's broom they had snatched from Draco. Orion didn't even think of releasing the spell until Hayden was safely on his broom. Once Hayden held up the Snitch proudly, Orion lowered his wand and relaxed.

"You okay, Orion?" Cedric asked loudly as he repeated Orion's motions. It was difficult to hear anything over the shouts of "WE WON THE CUP".

Orion nodded and felt Cedric usher him out of the stands. This was ridiculous. All this for what? Bragging rights? It made no sense. "I can't believe Draco," Orion said at last.

Cedric gave Orion's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "Oh, I don't think you'll have to worry about him for a while," he said in an amused tone. "Take a look."

They had just stepped onto the field to see Draco cornered by Professor McGonagall, Professor Snape, Madam Hooch, and Professor Dumbledore. Professor Snape had Draco's Nimbus 2001 which made Orion wonder just how severe the punishment would be for purposefully endangering Hayden's life. Shifting his gaze, Orion noticed Mrs. Potter embracing Hayden tightly while Hayden tried to push her away in embarrassment. Shifting his gaze again, Orion spotted Remus not too far away with a worried frown on his face.

That snapped Orion to attention. Why would Remus be worried now?

"Orion!"

Spinning around, Orion froze at the sight of Sirius approaching with a look of resign on his face. Orion didn't hesitate. He rushed to his father, hardly noticing Cedric and Neville following him. That look on Sirius' face was one he normally wore when something didn't work in his favor regarding his job. The question was, who was it? Bellatrix or Pettigrew?

"Dad, what is it?" Orion asked nervously.

Sirius glanced around before resting a hand on Orion's shoulder. "Come with me Ori, away from the crowd," he said gravely. "Cedric, Neville, you can come too. Ori'll tell you anyways."

Orion allowed Sirius to pull him towards the forest. He couldn't help sharing a nervous glace with Cedric and then Neville. Cedric looked determined and Orion knew that his older brother was ready to jump into the role he had played so often this school year. Neville shared Orion's nervousness, allowing Orion to conclude that he and Neville were on the same conclusion.

Sirius came to an abrupt stop just outside of the forest before dropping to one knee and staring into Orion's eyes then Neville's. Biting his lip, he reached out and grasped Neville's shoulder with his free hand. "I just received word from the Ministry," he said softly. "Bellatrix has been declared mentally competent. She knew exactly what she was doing and who she was doing it for. Her logic wasn't exactly sound but it has been concluded that she is too much of a danger given her complete devotion to Voldemort."

Orion felt his knees buckle. This was what they had hoped for. "W—what's her sentence?" Orion whispered.

Sirius hesitated for only a moment before speaking. "Dementor's Kiss, Ori. She has been moved to Azkaban under constant guard until it the sentence is carried out."

Neville fell to his knees and buried his face in his hands. Sirius immediately moved and wrapped his arms around Neville. Orion joined in the embrace and felt a reassuring hand on his back. Orion didn't know what to feel. He was relieved that Bellatrix would never hunt him again but it just felt so wrong to be happy that someone was going to face a fate worse than death. Perhaps this was why Sirius had come to tell them in person. He had known that even though it had been good news, it was still difficult news to process.

Suddenly, Orion really didn't care about the Quidditch Cup at all.

The news of Bellatrix Lestrange's sentence was the final straw that broke Draco's back. The confident, proud boy had been replaced by a depressed shadow that avoided everyone. In addition to Bellatrix's sentence and the detentions with Filch until the end of the term, Draco was also scolded by his father behind closed doors. No one knew what was said but it was clear that it hadn't been a pleasant conversation.

There really wasn't any time for Orion to sit and process everything that had happened. With the final Quidditch match of the season done, it was time to focus on final exams. Orion was actually relieved that his exams wouldn't be anything like the O.W.L.s that Cedric, Fred and George were studying for or even the N.E.W.T.s that Percy was trying to survive. Of course, that didn't stop Orion from making some notes of what he noticed they were studying.

Orion had quickly become the tutor for the third year Gryffindors—except for Hermione. She preferred her solitude to worry about how she was going to manage to get her studying done. That left Orion to come up with the excuses when she left her exam schedule in plain sight for Hayden and Ron to see that she had multiple exams at the same time. All in all, Orion silently vowed to talk to Hermione once exams were over because he wouldn't be doing this next year.

Surprisingly, the exams passed quickly and weren't as difficult as Orion had feared. Transfiguration was mostly theory, Charms was absolutely easy, Ancient Runes was a little trying, his Confusing Concoction had come out nearly perfect in Potions, Astronomy was a walk in the park but it normally was since Sirius had always had an obsession with the stars, History of Magic was boring but manageable, and Herbology was easy with everything Neville had drilled into his head. Orion's final exam had been Defense Against the Dark Arts which had actually been enjoyable. Remus had created an obstacle course for the exam that contained quite a few creatures they had learned about this year.

Orion, Neville and Hayden managed to complete the course successfully. Ron faltered at the Hinkypunk and Hermione was fine until she reached the Boggart and ran away screaming.

Remus was immediately at her side, trying to comfort her. "Hermione," he said gently. What happened?"

Hermione shakily wiped away her tears. "P-P-Professor McGonagall," she gasped. "Sh-she said I failed everything!"

Ron really didn't help matters by laughing but Orion had to admit that Ron had the right frame of thinking. He'd take Professor McGonagall over a Dementor or Sirius dying as a Boggart any day.

Orion couldn't help being a little smug as he watched Hayden, Ron and Neville leave for their Divination exam and Hermione leave for Muggle Studies. He was done and had a free period to unwind. What could be better? Once Orion dropped his things off at the Gryffindor Tower, he ventured out to the grounds. Not too far, obviously, but far enough so Orion was able to enjoy the sun.

This year at Hogwarts was certainly one that Orion couldn't wait to put behind him. As if Bellatrix Lestrange and Peter Pettigrew hadn't been enough, there were also the consequences of their escape. Sirius had been pushed past his limit with the Ministry, his team and the Potters. The Ministry hadn't been much of a surprise. They always hated not being in control of the situation. Problems with Sirius' team were to be expected since they had been working non-stop since the escape happened.

The Potters, on the other hand, that had been a problem that never should have happened. Mr. and Mrs. Potter knew that Sirius was already being pulled into too many directions. Why did the feel the need to make it worse by trying to force themselves into the Black family? Why now of all times?

Orion let out a groan as he let himself fall back on the green grass. He had to admit that the Potters had left him alone lately but who knew how long that would last. Mr. and Mrs. Potter were just too nosey. Why did they have to pick on him? They weren't this way with any of Hayden's other friends. _Why do I even bother? There's nothing about the Potters that makes any sense_.

It wasn't long before Neville joined him followed by Ron and then Hermione. From the looks on Neville and Ron's faces, Orion knew their exam hadn't gone well but Hermione looked like she was on top of the world but in all honesty, that was to be expected. Hermione was Muggle born. How could she not do well in Muggle Studies?

"So how does it feel to be done?" Orion asked with a grin the moment Hermione sat down by Neville.

"Surreal," Hermione admitted with a sigh. "I'll admit it, Ori. You were right. I don't think I could do this again. I don't think I'll remember half of what I studied."

Ron stared at Hermione incredulously. "Er—that's normal, Hermione," he said slowly.

Hermione let out a huff. "For you, maybe but I would like to remember what I've learned," she shot back. "Honestly Ron. How can you expect to gain any ground when we have to take our O.W.L.s?"

Orion and Neville groaned. "Hermione, please!" Orion protested. "We just finished our exams. Give us some time to unwind before you start making out study schedules for us."

Hermione opened her mouth to protest only to be silenced my Hayden running towards them with a look of panic on his face. "Hayden—"

"—Professor Trelawney," Hayden panted as he dropped to his knees, "just told me something about Voldemort."

Orion quickly sat up. "What about Voldemort?"

Hayden held up his hand until his breathing slowed down to a manageable level. "In my Divination exam, Trelawney acted really weird and she started talking in a strange loud voice. She said that Voldemort's servant will get free tonight to find him and Voldemort will rise again—greater and more terrible than before."

Orion hurried to Hayden's side. "Did she give a time frame?" he demanded.

"Orion," Hermione protested cautiously. "Trelawney is a fraud. You can't honestly believe—"

"—it's not up to me to judge," Orion cut her off sharply. "If there is a possibility that Bellatrix Lestrange may escape, I have to let Dad know."

"Before midnight," Hayden answered nervously. "Orion—"

Orion didn't stay around to listen. He jumped to his feet and ran up the stairs and into the castle. He needed to find Remus. Remus would be able to find out where Sirius was—even if he wasn't at Hogwarts. Running to Remus' office had certainly been an obstacle course. Orion had nearly run over several first years and almost collided with several older students. None of them seemed to grasp the fact that Orion was in a hurry of life and death means.

Orion managed to reach Remus' office just as the door was opening. He slid to a stop, nearly crashing into a surprised Remus.

"Orion!" Remus exclaimed, jumping out of the way. "What in the world—"

"—no time!" Orion interrupted between gasping breaths. "Where's Dad?"

Remus frowned in confusion. "He just left," he said cautiously. "He was going to catch some sleep at Black Manor before his next shift started. I believe Kingsley and Evelyn are on patrol now. Why?"

Orion explained Hayden's jumbled tale as quickly as possible but it wasn't long before Remus was trying to contact Sirius while promising Orion that he would take care of everything. Evidently, Remus believed the same as Orion. A threat was still a threat no matter how unreliable the source may be…and Professor Trelawney was about as unreliable as they came.

It was with a lesser weight on his shoulders that Orion met up with his friends in the Great Hall. He had to admit that he preferred having an uncle for a teacher—especially when Remus was that uncle. Remus had always been able to tell when someone was lying or being truthful. It had certainly given Remus an advantage in the past whenever Sirius had tried to pull a fast one during a prank war.

Of course Sirius never felt the same. He always insisted that Remus was cheating.

"Er—Orion?" Hayden asked nervously, snapping Orion out of his thoughts. "Is everything okay?"

It took Orion a moment to realize what Hayden was talking about. "Oh! Sorry," he said quickly. "I talked to Remus. He was contacting Dad when I left. They'll make sure Bellatrix is guarded heavily tonight so nothing happens."

Hayden frowned, glancing at Ron then Hermione before returning his gaze to Orion. "Do you really think Trelawney made an actual prophecy?" he asked softly.

Orion shrugged his shoulders. "You're asking the wrong person," he admitted. "I've never believed in fortune telling. Remus told me about the room in the Department of Mysteries that's filled with prophecies that haven't come true. If you divide the prophecies that come true by the prophecies made…well, the odds aren't in our favor."

"Then why'd you run off?" Ron asked with a mouth full of food that made Orion cringe.

"Honestly, Ron!" Hermione scolded. "Can't you at least have some manners?"

"Too late," Orion and Neville said at the same time and pushed their plates of food away. Ron swallowed his food then smiled apologetically. Orion could only roll his eyes. "Like I said before, we can't take any chances when it comes to Voldemort."

Ron winced.

Orion glanced up at the Head Table and saw Remus quietly taking his seat. Their eyes met for a brief moment before Remus discretely nodded. Orion grinned in relief. If anyone could make sure Bellatrix didn't escape tonight, it would be Sirius Black's team.

"Do you think I should tell my mum?" Hayden asked quietly. "I know she'd worry—but if it's about Voldemort, maybe she should know."

Orion frowned thoughtfully. "I don't know," he admitted. "I mean, your dad's still working with mine, right?"

Hayden scratched his head thoughtfully. "Last I heard but I think he's more of a backup since Lestrange was sentenced. They only have to find _Pettigrew_ now."

Orion raised an eyebrow at how Hayden spat 'Pettigrew' like a curse and forced himself to remember that Hayden's conflict with Peter Pettigrew wasn't anything like Orion's with Bellatrix. For Hayden and the rest of the Potters, it was about revenge. Peter Pettegrew's betrayal had been the beginning of what had damaged the Potter family beyond repair with Hayden and Rose suffering the most.

Speaking of the Potter children…"Er—Hayden?" Orion asked looking up and down the Gryffindor table. "Where's Rose?"

It was Hayden's turn to look up and down the table. "I don't know," he said in surprise. "That's strange. I was sure she would have wanted to know all about Remus' exam. Maybe I should go look for her."

"I'll go with you," Orion said rising to his feet with Neville following suit. Looking for Rose was certainly better than watching Ron eat.

"Wait for me," Hermione said as they turned to leave. "I'm coming too."

They hurried out of the Great Hall only to be met with silence as soon as the doors closed. It felt almost eerie as they hurried to the moving staircases. Portraits watched them suspiciously but nothing was said in an attempt to stop them. It made Orion itch to have in wand in hand. He didn't like this—not one bit.

"Slow down!"

Everyone turned to see Ron struggling to catch them while still stuffing food in his mouth. Hermione was the first to say what they all were thinking. "Don't you ever stop eating?" she asked incredulously.

"What?" Ron asked with a mouth full of food. "I'm growing."

Hayden let out an aggravated sigh. "Come on," he insisted. "I want to find Rose."

Nothing else was said as they hurried to the Gryffindor Tower. The Fat Lady also stared at them suspiciously before letting them in. What in Merlin's beard was wrong with the portraits tonight? Did they honestly believe that a small group of third years would cause problems during dinner?

It took a moment for Orion to remember that many of the portraits were already hanging for years when Sirius Black and James Potter entered Hogwarts. They were probably just waiting for Orion and Hayden to take after their fathers. _Stupid portraits don't know me at all_.

The Common Room was completely empty—which wasn't surprising but Orion could see that Hayden was really starting to worry.

"I'll check her dorm," Hermione offered then hurried up the stairs.

Every second seemed to last forever as they waited. It was times like this when Orion hated the enchantment on the staircase preventing boys from going up to the girl's dorms. Truthfully, it was a bit unfair. Girls were allowed to enter the boy's dorms at their leisure.

"She's not in her room or any of the others!" Hermione shouted as she hurried down the stairs.

Orion didn't waste any time running up the stairs and checking all of the dorm rooms only to come to an abrupt halt when he entered the his own. It looked like a complete disaster. Beds were messed up, hangings were pulled at awkward angles, belongings were thrown all over the room and a red liquid was running down the window by Orion's four poster bed. With his wand in hand, Orion cautiously approached but it didn't take him too long to realize that the liquid was as thick as blood.

"Orion? What's the—hey! What happened in here?!?"

Orion reached out and cautiously touched the red liquid. It had the consistency of blood. He brought his fingers to his nose and inhaled. There was no smell. Frowning in confusion, Orion pointed his wand at the window. "_Finite Incantatem_!"

The red liquid turned clear for only a moment before vanishing all together. Someone had wanted to scare them. _Mission accomplished._ Orion felt sick to his stomach as he turned around. Neville, Hayden and Ron were checking their own areas while Hermione stared at the entire scene in shock.

"We need to tell Professor Dumbledore," Hermione said shakily. "We need to tell—"

"—no one," Hayden interrupted in a hoarse voice as he held a piece a parchment in his hands. "We can't tell anyone." His eyes shifted to Orion's. The look on Hayden's face left no room for question. It was a look of fear and horror. "He has her," Hayden whispered then handed the parchment over to Orion.

One glance at the parchment told everything.

_I have your sister. She's still alive and waiting for you. Come with Black to the Whomping Willow alone. _

_NO ADULTS! _

_If I so much as see anyone with you, I'll kill her. If you even think of telling anyone, I'll kill her. You're being watched._

_Remember that._

_Wormtail._

Orion slowly raised his eyes and met Hayden's and immediately knew they had no choice. Wormtail had already taken one sibling away from Hayden. There was no way Hayden would sacrifice the other. Wormtail had been smart. He had struck effectively under the radar. No one had protected Rose. No one had suspected Rose as a target.

"We'll get her back, Hayden," Orion said quietly. "I promise."


	13. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, Prongs &Shadow

Chapter 13

Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, Prongs and Shadow

"Orion, you can't do this!" Hermione exclaimed as she followed her friends down the staircase. "You can't take Pettigrew on alone!"

"Hermione, you read the note!" Orion shot back in frustration as he reached the bottom step and continued into the Common Room with Hayden on his heels. "We have no choice! Rose will be killed if we don't go!"

Every one of them had read Pettigrew's note. Every one of them knew what was at stake. Ron and Neville weren't happy about being left behind but they didn't question Orion and Hayden's decision. Hermione was the only one trying to think rationally. She just didn't understand that this wasn't a situation where rationality could work.

"So your only option is to go and be killed _before_ Rose is killed?" Hermione countered.

Hayden whirled around and glared at Hermione angrily. "You don't understand!" he snapped. "I don't care what the risks are! I've already lost one sibling because of _him_! I won't lose the only one I have left!"

Orion rested a reassuring hand on Hayden's shoulder before stepping between Hayden and Hermione. He needed to make her understand. He needed her to realize that there was more to this than what she was seeing. He needed her to understand what he couldn't say out loud.

"Hermione, we have to do this," Orion said as he raised his hand to cup his ear then raised one finger and moved it in a circle. Hermione's eyes widened in alarm. "We have no time to waste," he continued as he held up his hand as if telling her to wait. "Any delay could put Rose in danger." Orion tapped his wrist twice before holding up three fingers followed by forming a zero with his fingers and thumb. "We can't _tell_ anyone. Do you hear me? Even after we get out, none of you can _tell_ anyone."

Hermione nodded quickly. "All right, Orion," she said reluctantly. "I don't like it but I promise—not a word."

Orion nodded then turned to Hayden. "Let's go," he said quietly then led the way out of the Gryffindor Tower. They didn't have much time. Dinner would be over soon which meant the halls would be full of students and witnesses. That was too much of a risk so they needed to move quickly to avoid the students but discretely to avoid suspicion from the portraits, Kingsley and Evelyn—without the aid of Hayden's invisibility cloak.

To say this was going to be difficult was an understatement.

Not a word was said as they journeyed down the moving staircases and snuck past the Great Hall to the Entrance Hall. After a quick glance, Orion pulled Hayden into the shadows and raised his wand over Hayden's head and desperately hoped that this would work. He had never attempted a Disillusionment Charm before but he really had no other options. Tapping his wand on Hayden's head, he whispered the incantation.

"Hey!" Hayden protested in a hushed voice as he faded even more into the shadows.

"Quiet!" Orion snapped through his teeth before tapping his wand on his own head and muttered the incantation—instantly feeling like a large, ice cold egg had had been smashed on his head and was now running down his body. Looking down, Orion saw himself fade into the surroundings too. "All right, follow me."

It was very hard to lead the way out of the castle and to the green houses without knowing for certain that Hayden was behind him and for Hayden not knowing exactly where Orion was. There were several instances that Hayden stumbled into Orion until Orion took hold of Hayden's shirt and basically pulled him along. Orion heard Hayden quietly complain about going so slow but there really was no other choice. The sun had just begun to set over the horizon. It was just too risky to simply run to the Whomping Willow.

The sound of countless voices brought Orion to an abrupt halt and pushed Hayden to the ground. Dinner was finally over. Waiting for everyone to retreat to their houses was going to try their patience. Every moment they wasted was only increased their chances of being found and their time was already running out.

"What are we waiting for?" Hayden asked impatiently.

"We can still be seen, Hayden," Orion said in a hushed voice. "If the sunlight hits us the wrong way, this will all be for nothing. As soon as everyone's out of sight we'll have to run for it. Our first stop will be Hagrid's. From there, we'll have to run parallel to the forest until we reach the Whomping Willow."

"Ori—"

"—we'll get her back, Hayden," Orion insisted. Crawling around the greenhouse, Orion took a look towards the castle and noticed that the number of heads passing the windows had decreased. That was good and bad. Good because most of the students wouldn't notice them now. Bad because that meant the teachers would be checking the halls shortly. How could he have forgotten about the bigger threat? "We need to move. We can't risk Professor Dumbledore spotting us. We only have a few minutes so you'll have to run as fast as you can."

Rising to crouch position, Orion took one final glance at the castle hoping against hope that this insane plan would work. "Ready…set…go!" he hissed and ran as fast as he could. It was a race against the seconds. Orion pushed himself faster and faster only finally skidding to a halt when he finally reached the side of Hagrid's hut with Hayden nearly slamming into him.

"Sorry," Hayden gasped.

"Don't worry about it," Orion muttered, casting a quick look back at the castle and saw the another thing he had forgotten. "Hagrid's coming, let's go!" Once again Orion led the way. They reached the forest quickly and were able to blend into the shadows of the trees, making the rest of their journey a lot easier. Tapping his wand on his head, Orion lifted the charm and immediately felt like a warm egg had been smashed on his head and trickled down his body. He glanced down and easily saw his body sneak out of the shadows slightly. At least now Hayden—and Pettigrew—could see him.

As soon as the Whomping Willow was in clear view, Orion slid to a stop and could hear Hayden doing the same. He cautiously reached out and found Hayden's nearly invisible arm before lifting the Disillusionment Charm on Hayden. Hayden emerged from the shadows, looking around frantically.

"Now what?" Hayden asked impatiently.

Orion stared at Hayden for a moment before shifting his gaze to the swaying Whomping Willow. "Now we wait for the rat to show himself," he said quietly. "Hayden, I know you're scared and angry but I need you to follow my lead here. We have to work together if we're going to get Rose out of this."

Hayden ran a frustrated hand down his face. "Orion, you don't understand—"

"—Pettigrew's the main reason you lost your other half, I get it," Orion interrupted. "What you don't realize is that Pettigrew's spent nearly twelve years in Azkaban. We don't know what his frame of mind is. There is a good chance that his demands will be completely irrational."

Hayden let out a shaky breath and nodded. Silence fell between them as they waited for anything to happen. The minutes seemed to pass so slowly then suddenly there was movement at the base of the Whomping Willow's trunk. Squinting, Orion noticed something extremely small and furry move over to a knot on the trunk and placed its front paws on it. The Whomping Willow suddenly stopped swaying and remained completely still—not even a leaf moved.

"That's the signal," Orion said as he took a cautious step forward. "Stay behind me."

It didn't take long to reach the trunk and see the furry creature was a thin gray rat. It was Pettigrew in his animagus form. Orion was rather tempted to stun Pettigrew but he had to think of Rose. From the spell work in the dorm and the Common Room, Orion knew Pettigrew had obtained a wand. Merlin only knew what other spells he had cast since he had abducted Rose.

Pettigrew quickly disappeared through a gap in the roots. Reluctantly, Orion dropped to his knees and crawled forward, headfirst, and slid down an earthy slop to the bottom of a very low tunnel. Squinting in the darkness, Orion hurried to his feet just as Hayden slid down beside him. He kept his wand at the ready and started cautiously following the tunnel.

"Where are we?" Hayden whispered as he hurried to his feet.

Orion let out a long breath. This was going to be difficult. "This tunnel will take to the Shrieking Shack," he whispered back as he ducked to avoid a large bolder. "The Marauders used the tunnel a lot during their days at Hogwarts. Keep your wand ready."

Hayden gasped. "B—but why? Surely there are safer ways to get to Hogsmeade."

"Hogsmeade, yes," Orion said distantly. "But not the Shrieking Shack."

Hayden was obviously still confused. "But why would they want to go there? I heard it's haunted."

Orion shook his head. "No, it was never haunted—just the destination for someone who was unwillingly cursed to suffering you wouldn't believe," he admitted.

There was a long silence as they walked as fast as they could, ducking more often than not. This pathway clearly wasn't made with those who walked on two legs in mind. Finally, as the tunnel began to rise, Hayden spoke up. "It was because of Remus, wasn't it?" Hayden asked softly.

Orion froze for a brief moment before continuing on. "Yes," he admitted.

The tunnel twisted and ahead, Orion could see a patch of dim light through a small opening. Orion stopped and silently motioned for Hayden to do the same. Pettigrew would expect them to act like Gryffindors—run into danger with wands ready to fire. They needed to be smart rather than foolishly brave. As quickly as possible, Orion motioned for Hayden to go ahead. It was a dangerous tactic but it was the smartest one. Hayden needed to distract Pettigrew so Orion could disarm him.

Hayden seemed to pick up on Orion's plan and carefully maneuvered past him with his wand raised. Orion watched him pull himself out of the hole and could only listen.

"She's not here, Orion," Hayden whispered.

Orion pulled himself out of the hole and looked around. The room was very disordered and dusty. Paper was peeling from the walls and there were stains all over the floor. All the windows were boarded up and every piece of furniture was broken. Orion forced himself not to think of what it must have been like for Remus to cause this much damage.

Suddenly, a creak was heard from upstairs. Orion glanced up before shifting his gaze to Hayden and motioning for him to take the lead up the crumbling staircase. Hayden nodded shakily and crept into the hall. Orion followed a few paces back, trying only to step when and where Hayden did. There was a thick layer of dust everywhere except for the floor where there was a mixture of rat and human footprints.

Hayden reached the dark landing and with one final nervous glance at Orion, continued forward. There was only one door open. Orion remained on the landing and watched Hayden kick the door wide open. As hard as it was, Orion could only listen.

"Rose!" Hayden cried in relief.

"_Expelliarmus_!" A squeaky voice said hoarsely. "Where's Black? He was with you I saw him!"

That was Orion's cue. Hurrying forward Orion rushed into the room and immediately pointed his wand at the thin, balding man with waxy skin stretched tightly over the bones on his face and yellowed teeth dressed in Azkaban robes. "_Expelliarmus_!" he shouted. Wands went flying and Hayden rushed to grab them. Orion didn't move, keeping his wand pointed at Pettigrew.

The room was just as disordered and dusty as the rest of the Shrieking Shack. There was a magnificent four-poster bed with dusty hangings and in the center of the bed was Rose tied up and gagged with tears running down her face.

"Peter Pettigrew," Orion said, his face showing no emotion. "So this is where you've been hiding."

Pettigrew shakily took a step back. "Sirius' boy," he mumbled, "but that's impossible. Those eyes…I know those eyes…seen…so many times…"

Orion stared at Pettigrew incredulously. _I guess that answers the question about his frame of mind. He's nutter._ "Hayden, help Rose," he said, his eyes never leaving Pettigrew. "_Incarcerous_!" Thin, snakelike cords burst from the end of Orion's wand and twisted themselves around Pettigrew's mouth, wrists, and ankles. Orion watched as Pettigrew overbalanced and fell to the floor, unable to move. "This should hold you until help arrives."

Pettigrew started squirming frantically. Orion realized what Pettigrew was going to do just in enough time. He quickly shut the door as—with a _pop_—Pettigrew vanished and was replaced by the same thin rat as before. Orion was quickly torn between rushing to the Potter siblings and remaining by the door. That decision was made a little too late. Pettigrew reached Hayden and—with another _pop—_was human again with his arm around Hayden's neck with two wands in his free hand.

"Drop it!" Pettigrew ordered, pointing the wands at Hayden's temple.

With great reluctance, Orion did as he was told. Luckily he still had one option but he couldn't even consider using that until help arrived. He would need to stall. He would need to get Pettigrew taking. "What is it you want?" Orion snapped.

Pettigrew shakily moved away from Rose so he could keep Orion and Rose in his line of sight. "I—it wasn't supposed to be this way," he said nervously. "The Dark Lord—he said he only wanted the twins...he promised…James and Lily would never know it was me…they'd never…"

Orion couldn't believe what he was hearing. He may not like the Potters but he knew they would never act like Pettigrew expected them to. "You're mental," Orion said, dumbfounded. "You expected the Potters just to ignore the deaths of Hayden and Harry? They would have hunted Voldemort down with every remaining breath they had."

Pettigrew flinched before snarling angrily and pointed the wands at Orion. "Y—you don't know a—anything!" he gasped.

"But I do!" Hayden cried as he struggled against Pettigrew's hold. "Mum and Dad hate you! They hate that you destroyed our family! Because of you Harry died! Mum and Dad haven't been the same since!"

Pettigrew tightened his hold on Hayden and pressed the tips of the two wands against Hayden's temple. "Because you had to do whatever you did!" he hissed through his teeth. "Everything fell apart because of you!"

"Stop it!" Rose cried loudly as she moved to the edge of the bed. "Please! Just leave him alone! No one knows what happened!"

Pettigrew glared hatefully at Rose. "You lie!" he snarled.

Orion quickly moved to Rose's side. "No, she's telling the truth," he insisted, grabbing Rose by the arm and pulling her to stand behind him. "Not even Professor Dumbledore knows what happened that night. All they know is that Hayden was healthy and Harry wasn't."

"And why is that?" Pettigrew demanded.

Orion tried to hold back his frustration. This was hopeless. "We don't know!" he exclaimed. "You're asking the wrong people! Hayden doesn't remember and that was before Rose and I entered the picture!"

Pettigrew pulled the wands away from Hayden's temple and hit the side of his head with the heel of his hand. It was hard to guess whether Pettigrew really comprehended what Orion was saying. If he had, he wouldn't be asking a group of children something adults couldn't answer.

Orion took the opportunity to look directly at Hayden before lifting his foot slightly and putting it back down. Hayden nodded in understanding before lifting his right leg and stomping his foot on Pettigrew's. Pettigrew let out a cry of pain as Orion dove for his wand and Hayden ran for Rose. As soon as it was in his hands, Orion rolled over onto his back and pointed his wand up at Pettigrew.

"_Stupefy_!" Orion shouted.

Red light filled the room as Pettigrew collapsed with a loud thud. Hurrying to his feet, Orion pulled the wands out of Pettigrew's hand and checked the state of him. Pettigrew wasn't moving in the slightest. Carefully, Orion crouched down and checked Pettigrew's pulse. It was there so at least he hadn't killed him.

"Orion?" Rose asked nervously.

"Stay back," Orion ordered as he stood back up and stepped back. "He's unconscious. I might've put a little too much force in the spell."

Hayden stepped forward and took his wand back. "Not enough force if he's still breathing," he muttered hatefully.

The sound of muffled, hurried footsteps echoing up through the floor made them all quickly turn towards the closed door and handed the spare wand to Rose then pulled her to stand behind him and Hayden.

"Kids?" Remus' voice was a wave of relief for all of them.

"We're up here!" Hayden yelled back then hurried to the door to open it. "We're up here—he's here!"

The speed and volume of the footsteps increased as they thundered up the stairs. Orion kept one eye on Pettigrew's still form the entire time. He wasn't about to make any more mistakes tonight.

In what felt like a blink of an eye, a pale Remus rushed into the room followed by Mr. Potter and Kingsley. Mr. Potter immediately went for Hayden and Rose while Remus went for Orion and Kingsley went to Pettigrew. Orion quickly found himself pulled against Remus and, only then, let himself relax.

"What were you thinking, Ori?" Remus asked quietly. "You could have been killed."

Orion slowly looked up and met Remus' worried gaze. "He said he was going to kill Rose. What else could I do?"

Remus let out a long breath and nodded. "I know," he admitted. "I just hate this. Your father is going to kill me."

Orion could only smile. "After he kills me," he offered.

That made Remus smile. "True. At least I'll know what to expect."

"Pettigrew's ready to be transported," Kingsley announced. Pettigrew's wrists and ankles were bound and he was levitated in the air.

"Wait, Kingsley," Mr. Potter said shakily. "This may be my only chance…I want to talk to him—face to face."

"James," Remus protested softly. "Let's get the children back to the castle."

Mr. Potter shook his head stubbornly. "I need this," he insisted. "Please, Remus."

Remus let out a long sigh. "I don't agree with this but it's your decision, James," he said then pulled Orion to the door. "Hayden, Rose, come over here please."

Hayden and Rose reluctantly left their father's side and moved to stand behind Remus. It was clear that Kingsley didn't agree with James either but he kept his comments to himself. Orion's fingers tightened around his wand. He just knew this wasn't going to end well. Why couldn't Mr. Potter see that this was a really bad idea?

"Do you have all the spells on him, Kingsley?" Remus asked quickly.

Kingsley nodded. "He can't transform, Remus. Are you sure the children—"

"—will be fine," Remus interrupted. "Also, having them here may keep some people in line."

Kingsley let out a long breath. "All right then," he said then turned to Pettigrew. A red light shot out of his wand and hit Pettigrew in the chest.

No one moved as Pettigrew let out a weak moan before slowly blinking his eyes open and took a look at the scene in front of him. Orion didn't miss the fact that Pettigrew's eyes continuously shifted towards Mr. Potter.

"Hello Peter," Mr. Potter said through his teeth. "You have a lot of explaining to do."

Orion couldn't help noticing that Mr. Potter's wand was visibly shaking and his breathing wasn't as steady as it should be. Mr. Potter was already close to losing control. Out of the corner of his eye, Orion could see that Hayden was in a similar state and discretely nudged Remus before nodding to Hayden. Remus took the hint and rested a hand on Hayden's shoulder.

"J—J—James," Pettigrew said nervously. "P—please, you have to b—believe me—"

"I believed you once, Peter," Mr. Potter spat. "I'll pay for that mistake for the rest of my life. How could you? How could you do that to me? To Lily?"

"Y—you don't u—understand!" Pettigrew pleaded, tears running down his face. "The Dark Lord—he would have killed me! He has weapons you can't imagine! I was so scared! H—he only wanted the boys! He p—promised to leave you alone if he got the boys!"

Mr. Potter's jaw trembled. "You were willing to kill my sons and for what?" he whispered. "Did you really believe Voldemort would have stopped after that? Do you really think I would have let something like that go? You knew Hayden and Harry were my life! I WOULD HAVE DIED FOR THEM!"

"James," Remus said gently. "Stop, please. This won't solve anything. Peter has never understood that there are some things in the world that are more important than your own life." Pettigrew flinched. "Kingsley, take him out of here. We'll meet you outside the Whomping Willow."

Kingsley nodded and with a flick of his wand, Pettigrew was floating out of the room. That seemed to be all that was needed for James to fall to his knees. Orion had to look away as Hayden and Rose rushed over and threw their arms around him. It wasn't right to witness such a low point in Mr. Potter's life. Quietly, Orion grabbed a handful of Remus' robes and pulled Remus out of the room. The Potters could catch up when they were able.

Remus led the way down the stairs and back into the tunnel. When they reached the end of the slope, Orion could hear footsteps behind him and turned to see Hayden leading the Potters through the tunnel. Mr. Potter had a firm grip on Rose's hand and Orion had a feeling she was more shaken up than what she was allowing others to see—not that Orion could blame her. He could actually understand. She had been taken by Pettigrew like he had been taken by Bellatrix. The only difference was that Pettigrew had actually taken her out of the castle.

Now that Orion thought about it, Rose was actually really lucky.

As they reached the end of the tunnel, Remus paused and reached out to press the knot before pulling himself out of the tunnel then turned and helped everyone else. As Orion moved clear of the Whomping Willow, he noticed that it was almost dark now. There was only a hint of sunlight left on the horizon which would vanish in a matter of minutes. Had that much time really passed?

Kingsley and Evelyn were both guarding Pettigrew who was quietly whimpering for mercy. The man was really begging the wrong people. Kingsley and Evelyn were probably the strictest 'rule abiders' of Sirius' team. James was the last out and Orion couldn't help noticing the hand that squeezed Remus' shoulder before Mr. Potter moved to Hayden and Rose's side. Perhaps this was the start of what would help everyone move on from the past that had haunted them for so long.

Evelyn and Kingsley led the way through the grounds with Pettigrew still levitated in the air as the darkness overtook the remaining light. Remus was right behind Kingsley, his wand also pointing at Pettigrew. Orion had to admit that he was really proud of his uncle tonight. Remus had kept everything under control and had stepped up when Mr. Potter had faltered. If he wasn't such a good teacher, Orion would suggest Remus join Sirius' team as a full time participant.

The castle lights were like a beacon calling them home. Orion was already looking forward to his warm bed and a good night's sleep…so he could face Sirius in the morning. They were nearly halfway there when Remus suddenly stumbled. Orion quickly reached out to grab Remus' arm when he realized what happened. The clouds had shifted to reveal a moon—a full moon.

"Remus," Orion said nervously. "Please tell me you've taken your potion."

Remus quickly pushed Orion away as he stumbled again—into Kingsley who stumbled forward into Evelyn. No one moved as Remus went rigid and his limbs began to shake. This wasn't good. Without the potion Remus could kill everyone without remorse until he woke tomorrow morning and hated himself for the rest of his life.

"What's happening?" Rose asked anxiously. "What's wrong with Remus?"

"Evelyn, Kingsley, get Pettigrew out of here!" Orion shouted but it was too late.

A terrible snarling noise came out of Remus' mouth as his head and body lengthened. His shoulders hunched and hair sprouted over his face and hands—that had curled into clawed paws. Remus had been replaced by Moony and Moony was angry.

Orion felt hands grab his arms and pulled him backwards as Moony snarled at Kingsley, who dropped his wand and quickly backed away. Pettigrew crashed to the ground and immediately started struggling. Evelyn rushed over to Pettigrew but Moony snarled at her, freezing her in her tracks. Moony looked like he was going to attack but then hesitated. He sniffed the air then turned to face Mr. Potter who was trying to shield Orion, Hayden and Rose. Moony let out a fierce growl as he took a step towards Mr. Potter.

"Kids, when I say go, I want you all to run to the castle," Mr. Potter said softly.

Orion fought against Mr. Potter's arm. "No, let me go!" he insisted. "It's me he wants!"

Moony let out a snarl and prepared himself to attack. It was now or never. Ducking under Mr. Potter's arm, Orion slid his wand in his holster and quickly forced his mind to focus on Shadow—to let Shadow take over.

"Orion!"

"Orion, no!"

Two running steps were all Orion needed to jump at Moony and suddenly—with a _pop_—Shadow was there instead, colliding with Moony. They rolled in the grass until Moony had Shadow pinned and sniffed Shadow's neck. Shadow waited patiently only to be relieved when Moony moved and nudged Shadow towards the forest before running off himself. Shadow slowly rose to his feet and glanced back at the group of humans that were staring in shock. None of them had expected this. None of them had known…they could only watch as the werewolf was followed by a black, adolescent wolf with a strange mark on its forehead into the forest.


	14. An Eye Opening Experience

Chapter 14

An Eye Opening Experience

It didn't take Shadow long to find Moony. Moony had a particular scent that was easy to follow. It was hard for Shadow to leave like he did but this was the only option for Moony. Moony recognized his cub and would attack anyone who dared to stand between him and his cub. Shadow had never been allowed to see Moony like this before and now he knew why.

Moony was a little scary like this.

Moony was waiting for Shadow in a small clearing that smelled like it had been recently vacated buy something small and not as threatening as a werewolf. Shadow stepped into the clearing carefully and let his instincts take over completely. It was easier this way. He would need all of his instincts to keep up with Moony.

Moony stared at Shadow for a moment before crouching down on his front legs—his tail wagging in the air. Shadow copied the move and watched as Moony jumped forward before running out of the clearing. Moony was clearly in the mood for running tonight which wasn't surprising. Moony had been locked in Remus' office for too many full moons.

Shadow ran after Moony, focusing on nothing but the scent. He ran until he reached another clearing then hesitated when Moony's scent seemed to go in multiple directions. How could that be? Shadow let out a soft whine in fear. Had he lost Moony already? Was Moony running back to the Potters, Kingsley and Evelyn?

Panic overrode everything. Shadow turned around and ran like he had never run before, ignoring everything around him—even how the temperature was suddenly dropping. He followed his own scent to the edge of the forest only to be stopped when something slammed into him, sending him flying. Shadow let out a loud cry of pain as he hit something firm before falling to the ground. His right side was throbbing in pain. Shadow tried to stand but his limbs just wouldn't listen. That wasn't good.

Looking around, Shadow saw Moony staring down at him with an odd look on his face. Moony lowered himself so he was lying down and gently nudged Shadow's head. Shadow let out another whine of pain as he looked out at the grounds and couldn't believe what he was seeing. Dementors were everywhere. Shadow shivered instinctively then forced himself to rise to a sitting position. The way the Dementors were acting—that wasn't a good thing.

Inhaling deeply, Shadow let out a long and loud howl—surprised to hear Moony quickly joining in. It was a cry of desperation. An eerie silence echoed Shadow and Moony's cry. Shadow cautiously glanced at Moony and saw something surprising—understanding. Moony let out a soft whine before nudging Shadow forward. Shadow quickly nuzzled against Moony's side then ran out of the forest—as quickly as his injured side would let him.

The Dementors seemed to be more concentrated around the edge of the lake so that had to be Shadow's destination. The temperature continued to drop the closer Shadow was. It felt like the middle of winter, not the start of summer. How many Dementors were there?

Shadow reached the edge of the lake and could only stare in horror what lay before him. Mr. Potter and Rose were unconscious while Hayden desperately tried to fight against the Dementors with a failing Patronus. Where were Evelyn and Kingsley? Where was Pettigrew? Where were the teachers or the rest of Sirius' team?

There was no time to think. Shadow quickly focused on allowing Orion to take control again and—with a _pop_—the intense cold only increased. Pulling out his wand, Orion pointed it towards the Potters and concentrated on what made him the happiest in the world. "_EXPECTO PATRONUM_!" Orion bellowed.

Silver light lit up the entire grounds as a silvery Shadow leapt out of Orion's wand. Orion quickly hurried to Hayden's side and forced himself to continue focusing on his family. He needed to keep his Patronus strong. The Dementors had backed off but they weren't leaving. They were simply waiting for the opportune moment to attack again.

Another loud howl filled the grounds and Orion knew that Moony was watching—and waiting for Shadow to return. Orion saw Hayden struggle to maintain consciousness and knew he was alone. There must have been nearly a hundred Dementors circling them. What chance did he have against odds like that?

Shadow began to flicker and the Dementors moved closer. Orion glanced down at the unconscious faces of Mr. Potter, Rose and now Hayden. He wouldn't fail them. He couldn't. _Somebody please, help me!_

As if an answer to his prayer, light filled the grounds again and more silver animals hurried to help Shadow. Padfoot was the first to arrive followed by a cat, a doe and a phoenix. The five animals set up a parameter and quickly pushed the Dementors back. Most quickly vanished from sight but there were a few stranglers. They must have been really hungry to even consider fighting against multiple Patronuses.

Orion felt himself sag in relief when Sirius, Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, Professor Snape and Mrs. Potter came into view and watched as the new Patronuses seemed to attack the remaining Dementors. When the last Dementor fled, Orion could immediately feel the temperature around him rise and lowered his wand—causing Shadow to vanish. He felt completely exhausted and the throbbing on his right side felt even worse. Orion didn't even notice when Sirius dropped to Orion's side and pulled him into a fierce embrace—until the pain overwhelmed him.

"Dad!" Orion protested weakly. "Don't!" Sirius pulled back quickly and Orion's hand immediately grasped his injured side. "I'll be fine," Orion insisted. "I need to get back to Moony. He's waiting in the forest."

All of the adults froze as a loud howl echoed from the forest. Sirius was the first to regain his voice. "Orion, when you say Moony—"

"—Remus forgot his potion tonight," Orion explained quickly. "Moony's taken over. He nearly attacked us but I seem to calm him down. I can't explain it, Dad, but Moony needs me. I can keep him in the forest tonight."

Sirius pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. "Running after Peter wasn't enough for you?" he asked quietly. "Now you have to run after Moony—without the aid of his potion? Orion, are you trying to make me as gray as Remus? Don't answer that. Look, Fudge will be here any moment. I have to deal with him but as soon as he leaves, I'll relieve you. You will _not_ be spending all night in the forest. I don't care if I have to sedate Moony with tranquilizers, you will go to the hospital wing as soon as possible."

Orion cringed but knew that was the best he could hope for. With a quick goodbye, Orion put his wand back in his holster and ran back towards the forest, allowing Shadow to take back over in mid-stride, wincing as the transformation tugged on his injured side. Surprisingly, Moony was right where Shadow had left him. Moony immediately hurried to Shadow's side and took a sniff. Shadow froze. He was undoubtedly covered in Sirius' scent. That wasn't good. If Moony thought a pack member was close everyone could be in danger.

Moony moved towards the edge of the forest and Shadow knew why. Moony was looking for Padfoot. Shadow quickly turned and grabbed a mouthful of Moony's fur. Moony made an instinctive turn to snap at Shadow but Shadow had already let go and was running deeper into the forest. Moony's racing footsteps thundered in Shadow's ears. Great. Moony was following. Now what?

A game of chase quickly turned into what could only be categorized as 'wolf tag'. As soon as Moony caught Shadow it was Shadow's turn to catch Moony. It took Shadow a lot longer to catch Moony and Shadow had a feeling it was only as quick as it was because Moony was letting that happen. Moony was holding back.

After what felt like hours, Shadow had to take a break. His limbs were shaking with every step and it was getting harder to keep his breath steady. At the first clearing he found, Shadow allowed himself to collapse. Before tonight, Shadow honestly believed he was in pretty good shape but not anymore. It was no wonder Remus was so exhausted after a full moon. Moony was like Sirius when he ate too much sugar—unstoppable.

Shadow could hear something approaching slowly but couldn't gather the energy to move. He inhaled and caught the presence of a familiar scent. Relief surged through him. How long ago had the promise of relief been made? With a weak grin, Shadow watched as an enormous, pale-eyed, jet-black dog stepped out of the shadows. Padfoot had finally come.

Padfoot stared at Shadow for a long moment before lowering to the ground and slowly crawling over. Shadow allowed his eyes to close as Padfoot nudged his head gently, a soft whine escaping Padfoot's mouth. Shadow returned the whine weakly. He could feel darkness trying to claim him and wanted nothing more that to obey so that's what he did.

* * *

A painful groan could be heard over the brushing of branches and chirping of birds. "Thanks, Sirius," Remus croaked. "I wouldn't want him to wake to that…why is he here?"

"Shadow was the only one who could keep Moony in line last night," Sirius answered, his voice thick with sleep. "I've never seen anything like it. You weren't the Moony you were during our days here. There was no blood thirsty animal. You only wanted to take care of him. It was like you were—well, you on an instinctual level."

A shaky hand ran through Shadow's fur. "I'm so sorry, Sirius," Remus said tiredly. "I should have remembered—I should have sent Severus in my place but he was the only one who could keep Lily under control. You should be grateful you weren't there when Hermione, Neville and Ron gave us Peter's letter. I thought we would have to sedate her."

"Do you blame her?" Sirius countered. "Her daughter was abducted by an insane Death Eater and her son went to face him with only Orion as his back up. I was furious when I finally got here and I already knew the kids had been rescued. This wasn't the brightest plan Ori's come up with but I could understand his reasoning. I would have done the same thing and that's the problem. He's too much like me."

Remus softly chuckled. "Normally you're proud of that fact," he said then sighed. "So what happened after Moony took over?"

It was Sirius' turn to sigh. "Well, before that, Bellatrix was given the Kiss last night," he admitted softly. "Fudge thought she posed too much of a risk with the added threat Orion warned us about. As it turns out, it wasn't Bellatrix we needed to worry about."

"Peter got away?"

"From a combination of luck and Fudge's idiocy," Sirius said bitterly. "I reported what was happening here to Scrimgeour and he informed Fudge. It was Fudge who sent Dawlish here and ordered the Dementors to move in on Peter, not considering that Evie, Kingsley, James or the kids would still be out in the grounds. James sent Evie and Kingsley after Peter and tried to get the kids inside but that didn't work to well. You know how James is with Dementors."

"Ah, yes," Remus said uncomfortably. "Lily mentioned he's had some problems with his demons."

"Right," Sirius muttered. "Well, that's where things get weird. The Dementors split off into two groups. The first going after Peter, Evie and Kingsley and the second went after James, Hayden and Rose. Hayden lasted the longest but they all would have been Kissed if Orion hadn't come out of the forest to hold the Dementors off until I arrived with Lily, Snape, Minerva and Albus."

"Wait a minute," Remus protested. "I thought Orion had been with me."

"He had been," Sirius said smugly. "You let him go and waited here for him…seriously. So, Orion went back to you we got everyone into the Hospital Wing—just in time to Fudge to arrive."

"Sirius," Remus warned. "You didn't do anything stupid, did you?"

"Who me?" Sirius asked innocently.

Remus groaned. "Sirius, things are already tense enough. Did you really need to make it worse?"

"Probably not but Fudge will certainly think twice before doing something so thick again," Sirius said proudly. "I think he nearly wet himself. His first order of business was to remove the Dementors. I think everyone agreed that they caused more harm than good."

"However that doesn't negate the fact that Peter's still out there," Remus said distantly. "How are Hayden and Rose?"

"They woke briefly before I left to join you two party animals," Sirius said cautiously. "I—I think they were just in shock from everything. There was a lot to process and it wasn't just that you're a werewolf. Hayden has waited years for answers and they weren't the ones he had expected. I think he really wanted confirmation that Peter was as sadistic as Bellatrix so that could justify revenge."

"Yes, I could see that," Remus said as he moved away and groaned in pain. "Thank you for the robe, Sirius. I can only imagine the gossip if I had stepped into the castle in nothing but my birthday suit."

"On a normal day, I'd say go for it but I don't think it would be smart with as marked up as you are," Sirius offered. "Although, you don't look nearly as bad as you used to so that's a plus."

Remus snorted. "I may not look as bad but I certainly feel it in my arms and legs. Did I run all night long?"

"Ah, well, I'm not too sure but I think Orion gave up around three in the morning," Sirius said. "That's when I found him here half asleep. You showed up about a half hour later and just joined the slumber party."

"Hmm, that would explain why Orion's still sleeping when it's nearly half past ten," Remus said thoughtfully and gave Shadow a gentle shake. "Time to get up, cub. We both have appointments with Poppy."

Shadow let out a groan in protest, earning chuckles from Sirius and Remus. Slowly opening his eyes, Shadow rolled onto his side and stretched out his limbs only to wince as his right side throbbed in pain. At least it wasn't as bad as last night. Closing his eyes, Shadow focused on becoming Orion again and quickly locked his jaw to prevent the cry of pain that wanted to escape. It was over in a second but still—that hurt!

A hand rubbed Orion's back gently. "Are you all right, cub?" Remus asked worriedly.

Orion let out a groan and slowly sat up. "That had to be the longest night of my life," he said, wincing as he tested his limbs. "I can't believe it was all for nothing."

Sirius grinned. "So you were awake," he said knowingly. "It wasn't all for nothing, kiddo. You saved Rose and I think Hayden and James were able to have a little bit of closure—it just wasn't the closure they had been expecting." Sirius fell silent for a second as he eyes Orion suspiciously. "How are you feeling?"

Orion twisted his upper body slightly and winced. "It's not as bad as last night but I don't think Shadow will be making any appearances soon," he admitted. "It hurts to shift back and forth."

Sirius and Remus frowned but for different reasons. "You must have bruised some muscles," Sirius said thoughtfully. "That's an easy fix. Just be grateful you didn't break a bone. That would have really hurt."

"When did you get hurt?" Remus asked in confusion. "Did Moony—"

"—it's nothing," Orion said quickly as his eyes shifted to Sirius.

"Moony tried to protect Shadow last night," Sirius said, earning a glare from Orion. "Moony just didn't realize that Shadow isn't as tough of Padfoot."

"Dad!" Orion protested as he slowly stood up. "I'm not a wimp!"

Sirius chuckled but Remus looked horrified. "How bad is it?" Remus asked quietly.

"Just some bruising," Sirius said, all traces of humor gone. "Don't worry about it, Remus. A few potions and Orion will be good as new."

Remus closed his eyes and nodded but there was a look on his face that Orion really didn't like. Together, Orion and Sirius helped Remus to his feet and walked with him out of the forest. It was already surprisingly warm out. Perfect day to relax outside but Orion only wanted to find out what was happening inside Hogwarts. He could only assume that the Potters weren't handling Pettigrew's escape too well.

It was easy in the silence to mentally replay everything that happened last night. It was hard to imagine that exams had only ended yesterday. So much had happened. Orion had to admit that Pettigrew really wasn't like any of the Death Eaters he heard stories about. Pettigrew was nothing more than a frightened man who made the wrong choice. He had taken the easy way out and had lost his mind from years in Azkaban because of it. However, there had been something he had said…

They made it to the hospital wing rather quickly only to be met by a fuming Madam Pomfrey. She wasted no time sending all three of them to designated beds and performed a quick exam on each of them. Sirius was declared healthy and free to leave. Madam Pomfrey was visibly surprised on Remus' condition. All he needed was a few potions and a few days rest for recovery. That was a large improvement compared to most transformations.

"'I'll recover in my quarters then," Remus said, sighing in relief. "If I may use the fireplace in your office—"

"—wait!" Orion spoke up quickly. "Er—Madam Pomfrey, can we have a minute?"

Madam Pomfrey glanced at Sirius for a short moment before walking away. Sirius and Remus immediately took a step closer, concern obvious on both their faces. "What's wrong, Ori?" Sirius asked quietly.

Orion bit his lower lip nervously. Curiosity was winning out. Something in him just wanted to know. "I've been thinking about last night," he said cautiously. "Pettigrew said something—something about my eyes and I was wondering if he knew my birth parents…I mean…that's the only part that doesn't come from your side, right?"

Sirius and Remus stared at Orion for a long moment before their eyes shifted and they stared at each other for what felt like an eternity. There was something in that stare that made Orion really uneasy. "Sirius," Remus said quietly with a knowing look in his eyes.

Sirius let out a sigh before closing his eyes and bowing his head. "Go ahead, Remus," he said in a tired voice. "We'll meet you in your quarters as soon as Orion's check-up is over."

Remus nodded and went into Madam Pomfrey's office which was the cue for Madam Pomfrey to come out and check Orion over. Orion really didn't pay attention to her. His eyes never left Sirius. Why did it feel like his life was just about to get a whole lot more complicated?

"I see you released Hayden and Rose," Siriius said to Madam Pomfrey. "How are they?"

Madam Pomfrey handed Orion two potions to drink. "Curious," she said with a smile. "James and Lily are spending the day with them. They wanted to discuss everything from last night in private although I believe there is one little matter that only the two of you can handle." The look on her face was clearly disapproving. "An Animagus! Sirius! Were you out of your mind? Do I even want to know how young he was—"

"—no, you don't," Sirius interrupted. "Listen, Poppy, I trust Remus with my life. I really do but I know everyone slips up now and then. Can you blame me for doing everything in my power to keep my son safe?"

Madam Pomfrey stared at Sirius for only a second before nodding. "No, I can't blame you for that," she admitted. "You may leave, Orion, but please try to restrict your movement. The pain reliever has numbed the pain but that doesn't mean you should be running off and showing your form to all your friends."

Orion stared at Madam Pomfrey incredulously. "Why would I do that?" he asked. "Shadow is only for emergencies—like last night."

"And that's how it should be," Madam Pomfrey said firmly before turning and retreating to her office.

Orion looked up at Sirius in confusion. "How much trouble are we in?" he asked.

Sirius snorted as he helped Orion off the bed. "Ah, well, it depends what you mean by trouble," he said as he ushered Orion out of the hospital wing. "The people who really needed to know already knew so we won't be in any trouble legally. It's just those who didn't need to know but felt they should have that we need to avoid for a while—Poppy being one of them."

Orion stared up at Sirius for a long second. _I must be more tired than I thought. _"Say what?" he asked.

Sirius let out a bark-like laugh. "Albus knew so all's good," he clarified.

"Oh," Orion said dumbly. "Okay then."

At least they wouldn't get into that kind of trouble but Orion could already imagine the questions waiting for him from Hayden, Rose, Hermione and Ron. Neville hadn't exactly known about Shadow but he had known exactly who Sirius and Remus were so Orion joining the Marauders in every way wouldn't be a surprise. Orion could only hope that the damage could be controlled and the secret could actually remain a secret. He really didn't need the entire school asking about Shadow.

Stepping into Remus' quarters, Orion glanced around but saw no sign of Remus. "Remus?" he called out but was met with silence.

The fireplace suddenly roared to life making Orion jump back and stare as Remus stumbled out only to regain his balance quickly. "Oh, you're already here," Remus said as he brushed the soot off his robes that were clearly different from the ones he had worn walking into the castle. "Well, I suppose we should all sit. This may take a while."

Orion glanced up at Sirius before returning his gaze to Remus. "Where were you?" he asked curiously.

Remus let out a breath as he slowly sat down. "I just had a quick word with Professor Dumbledore," he said with a gentle smile. "I've handed in my resignation."

"W—what?" Orion gasped as he fell into the nearest chair. "You're quitting? Why?"

Remus' face turned serious. "Orion, I really could have hurt someone last night. I _did_ hurt you."

"But it was an accident!" Orion protested. "Don't do this! You're a great teacher Remus! Please, we'll just make sure you don't miss taking the potion again."

Remus didn't waver in his resolve. "I know it's hard to understand, cub, but it really is for the best," he said. "Think of it this way, now you won't have to worry about me constantly looking over your shoulder."

Orion frowned. "But I liked having you here," he admitted.

Sirius snorted as he sat down in the chair next to Remus. "You say that now but give it a year or two," he said wagging his eyebrows before shooting a look at Remus. "Are you sure about this?"

"Yes, on both counts," Remus said with a sigh.

Sirius ran a hand down his face before moving it to rest on the back of his neck. "I guess I always knew this day would come," he said in a resigned tone. "I just always hoped that it would never need to."

"But it does, Sirius," Remus said gently. "If Peter could make the association, someone else will too."

Sirius nodded before finally meeting Orion's confused stare. "You were right, Ori," he said, his entire body posture making him look older than Orion had ever seen him. "Peter knew your birth parents. When you were a baby, you never liked him. We always found it funny that you could get along with everyone you came in contact with—except Peter. We never knew why…until it was too late."

Orion was already lost. "When I was a baby?" he asked. "Dad, what do you mean?"

Sirius' face contorted. It looked like he was physically trying for force the words out. "Son, I've known you since you were born," he said, his voice wavering slightly. "I was given the honor of being your godfather—an honor I took very seriously. You were born a twin—an identical twin with only one significant difference between you—your eyes…you had your mother's eyes while your twin had your father's."

Orion could feel his brain shut down. The conclusion was there, he could feel it but he just couldn't seem to connect the dots. "A twin?" he squeaked. "I—I had a brother?"

Sirius slowly closed his eyes and let out a long, calming breath before meeting Orion's eyes again. "You _have_ a brother," he said softly, "and a sister. You already know them…and your birth parents. They've tried to wiggle their way back into your life all year."

Orion could feel Sirius putting the puzzle together but he just couldn't see what it was supposed to be. "I—I don't understand."

Sirius took one last breath before saying the words that would change Orion's life forever. "Orion, your birth name was Harry James Potter."

* * *


	15. Family History

Chapter 15

Family History

Orion felt his mouth fall open as he stared at Sirius in horror. This wasn't happening. This couldn't be happening. There was no way! Harry Potter was dead. He died years ago…when he was five-years-old…five-years-old… No. No! It couldn't be. The Potters said Harry died. They wouldn't lie to Hayden and Rose like that—not when they could see how much pain it caused Hayden every single day. They wouldn't let Hayden blame himself for something that never actually happened!

"You know, that's not very funny Dad," Orion said through narrowed eyes.

"It's not a joke, cub," Remus said patiently. "Your birth parents are James and Lily Potter."

"But that doesn't make any sense!" Orion cried out.

Sirius held up his hand to silence Orion. "Just hear me out, kiddo," he said shakily. "Everything we told you about Harry was true...to a point. Yes, Harry never really recovered from what happened with Voldemort. He—well—you tired out easily and you were sick on a regular basis. You were left with either Remus and me or Frank and Alice whenever there was a public function because you just couldn't handle them. James and Lily tried to avoid them at first but they were quickly swept up in all the attention. Hayden was in high demand James used that. He enjoyed the attention...for a while."

Orion could only stare at Sirius. A part of him was still hoping that Sirius was joking. He had grown up believing that his birth parents couldn't take care of him—not that they wouldn't. "B—but..."

"Just listen," Sirius insisted. "I know this can be hard to hear but it's the only way you'll understand why things are the way they are now. There were quite a few people who didn't agree with you being pushed off on different people. Alice and I actually cornered Lily a few times. She had agreed that it wasn't ideal for you but insisted the arrangement was only temporary. The madness would eventually calm down and they would be able to concentrate more on you."

"The last discussion was when you were five," Remus jumped in. "There was another function and you were given to us for the day and night."

"I was called into work an hour later so Remus took you to Hogwarts to explore," Sirius took over. "You always loved all the portraits and ghosts so it was an easy way to keep you entertained."

"You wandered off for a while, scaring me out of my mind," Remus said with a smile. "When I finally found you, you were so exhausted that I didn't have the heart to even scold you. I just took you back to Black Manor and put you to bed...I never suspected...it never crossed my mind that something was wrong."

"You slept through the night—which should've been the first sign something wasn't right," Sirius said in a hollow voice, his face shifting in what could only be described as a look of pain. "You always had terrible nightmares that you'd wake up screaming from. Normally, it would take us so long to calm you down. I—I just thought you were finally growing out of it then James came early the next morning to take you home and found you...looking exactly like me."

Orion's jaw dropped. He never thought...Sirius had always said adopting Orion had been the best thing he ever did but it sounded like Sirius never actually had a choice...which meant the Potters never had a choice either. That couldn't be right, could it?

"Do you remember the memory you had when the Dementors attacked the Quidditch game?" Sirius asked.

Orion nodded slowly.

"That was from when James found you," Sirius said as he ran a hand through his hair. "He obviously wasn't happy and said some really hurtful things—especially when you woke up and couldn't remember anything. We took you to St. Mungo's and ran every test possible. No one could figure out why you had no memories but the tests did reveal that the adoption had cured whatever had been slowly killing Harry."

Orion's eyes widened. "Killing?" he gasped. "But I didn't die. Didn't—"

"—didn't James and Lily say that to cover what really happened?" Sirius interrupted. "In a way but it was also true. Something happened to you that night that was slowly killing you. Lily just never wanted to admit it. James knew something was happening to you and secretly had specialists working on a way to find a cure. They just never thought—which is understandable—that a blood adoption was what you actually needed."

Orion frowned. It still didn't make any sense with everything Sirius had told him for years. Had it all been a lie? "So you were forced to take me?" he asked nervously.

"No!" Sirius shouted. "No, it wasn't like that. I had already offered to take you so many times—Frank and Alice too. When we had those talks with Lily, it was normally us begging her to let us take you so you could get the attention you deserved."

"You _were _wanted, Orion," Remus added. "I know it may not seem that way but you were always the center of Lily's world when she was at home. You were _her _son. She always joked that out of all her children, you were the only one that had a piece of her in their looks. They just got distracted with Hayden's celebrity status and Rose going through the terrible two's and three's. We saw it happening. That was the main reason we fought so hard for you and never spared a thought of taking you in. I know it may not seem that way but I have a feeling James and Lily regretted their actions the moment they made them. They were just too proud to try to fix things and we were too hurt to let them."

But that didn't change the fact that they ignored the fact that Harry Potter technically still existed for all these years. "They lied," Orion said weakly.

"Not exactly," Remus countered. "Harry's gone. You don't remember being him and—except for your eyes and that scar on your forehead, you don't look anything like him. They took the easy way out and regret that decision now that they've gotten to know you. Harry's still there. You still have his compassion and his instinct to protect Hayden—even when Hayden needed a good scolding."

Orion shook his head stubbornly as he felt his eyes sting. "I don't care!" he shouted in a shaky voice. "They threw me away! They…they…" Orion could feel the tears fall and looked away. "You lied to me…about everything."

Sirius was quickly on his knees at Orion's side. "I never wanted to," he said as reached out for Orion only to have Orion shy away from him, "but there are some things no child should ever hear. There's still so much that we don't know and probably never will but that doesn't matter. You're my son now and nothing can change that. If I had my way, you would never have to know but we can't risk our enemies using the information against us—against you."

Orion shook his head again. It was all too much. He didn't know what to feel. It seemed like everything was hitting him at once. He was angry at the Potters for abandoning him only to now want him in their lives again. Remus had said it was because they saw Harry in him. Would they be so interested if he hadn't been anything like Harry? He was furious at Sirius and Remus. Not only had they kept all this from him but they let the Potters try to forge some sort of relationship with him—something he would never want. He had been fine without the Potters so far. Why would he want anything to do with them now?

But did that include all of the Potters? What about Hayden and Rose? To think…he actually had an older brother and a younger sister. He could have had years with them but it didn't happen because of _their_ parents. What did that mean now? Was he supposed to suddenly _be_ Harry for Hayden? Orion didn't think he could do that. He couldn't be the brother Hayden wanted. He couldn't be Harry Potter.

"Orion," Sirius begged. "Please, talk to me."

Orion just shook his head before sliding out of the chair, away from Sirius' reach. He couldn't deal with this now. He was just too angry. He knew that he would probably do something he would regret later…much later perhaps but he wasn't about to make that mistake. He wasn't going to be like the Potters. "I—I need to think," Orion said at last as he backed away towards the door. "I—I can't do this now."

Without waiting for Sirius or Remus to stop him, Orion ran out of Remus' quarters. He didn't know where he was going but he just couldn't stay where he'd been any longer. This was a nightmare, it had to be! There was no other possible conclusion. If only he could wake up. Why couldn't he wake up?

Orion's run slowed to a walk through the empty halls. He wanted to yell, to scream for as long as his lungs would allow him and maybe longer after that but his voice was caught in his throat. It just wasn't right. That's all there was to it. He would have accepted nearly any family as his birth family—except for the Potters. For them to abandon their friends because…

Orion stumbled as the realization hit him. The Potters had abandoned Sirius and Remus because of him—because of something he did. The tension between the families was his fault. He had ruined everything. How had Sirius found the strength to keep him after costing him so much?

Leaning against the nearest wall, Orion felt himself slide down and pulled his knees to his chest. That one revelation pushed away any thought of anger. He—as Harry—had done this to the Potters, Sirius and Remus. He had broken up the Marauders and nearly destroyed the Potter family. Why had Harry done that? Why would he want to?

"Orion? Orion, are you all right?"

Looking up through tear-filled eyes, Orion could only glance at Neville and Hermione for a moment before having to look away. There was no way he could face his friends now. He couldn't face anyone. What was he supposed to say? He couldn't tell them. He couldn't tell anyone. What would they think? What would Hayden think?

"Orion, what happened?" Hermione demanded as she dropped to her knees. "Did something happen to Professor Lupin? We just heard that he resigned. This isn't because of—you know what, is it?"

"Hermione don't," Neville warned as he knelt down, his eyes never leaving Orion. "We'll meet you back in the Common Room, all right?"

"But—"

"Hermione, please," Neville begged quietly. "Just trust me." Hermione clearly didn't like the lack of information but listened regardless. Neville watched her go until she was out of sight then waited until her footsteps couldn't be heard anymore before speaking up again. "Orion, come on mate, talk to me. What happened? Does it have anything to do with last night? Hayden and Rose didn't tell us much."

Orion shook his head and tightened the hold he had on his legs. Saying anything would feel like confirming it was true and that was the last thing Orion wanted. It was so much easier to pretend nothing was different but the fact was that nothing could ever be the same—at least not for Orion. How was he supposed to act around Hayden and Rose now?

Neville shrugged his shoulders helplessly before joining Orion in sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall. Orion felt himself relax slightly until Neville broke the silence. "They told you, didn't they?" he asked quietly.

Orion stared at Neville in horror. "You knew?" he gasped.

Neville smiled knowingly. "Give me some credit," he said before dropping the smile. "I don't know who they are but I know Mum and Dad don't like them too much. I've heard them talking over the years—well, Mum more than Dad. I know my parents. It takes a lot for them to not like someone and your birth parents must have done something horrible for my Mum to dislike them so much."

Orion shook his head. "That's the thing," he whispered. "It wasn't them…it was me. Dad told me that I took the adoption potion without telling anyone. I messed everything up!"

Neville frowned. "I don't believe that," he said bluntly. "Do you want to know what my parents told me about your adoption years ago?" Orion slowly glanced over at Neville. "Granted I was five so they had to simplify it for me but they told me that your dad loved you so much that he chose you to be his son. I asked what happened to your real mum and dad and Mum told me they chose to leave you with your new dad. Do you understand what I'm saying, Ori? They left you. Sirius was willing to keep them in your life but _they left_."

"But only because I ruined everything," Orion insisted.

"You were a kid and kids do stupid things," Neville corrected. "Do you want me to tell you everything I've done? I think Mum's actually kept a list." A smile threatened to break on Orion's face as Neville continued. "How did you get the potion?"

Orion stared at the floor and shrugged his shoulders.

"Well you obviously didn't make it yourself," Neville concluded, "so you must've gotten it from someone. Whatever happened, it's not only your fault. You need to remember that. You were five! If anything, someone could have given you the potion and told you it was pumpkin juice and you would have believed them until you tasted it."

Orion had to admit Neville had a point. He remembered how gullible he had been after the adoption. Sirius and Remus had gotten into quite a few arguments because Sirius had tried to joke with answering Orion's endless questions. Sirius had actually led Orion to believe that broccoli was actually a shrunken version of the large trees outside. Orion had refused to even consider eating broccoli for weeks out of fear that it would grow in his stomach even with Sirius and Remus forcing themselves to eat the vegetable countless times to show how harmless it was.

"So what should I do?" Orion asked nervously.

Neville shrugged his shoulders. "Do whatever's right for you," he said seriously. "If it were me, I'd stick with Sirius and forget about them."

Orion cringed. If only it was that easy. "The problem really isn't my birth parents," he said evasively. "It's their children."

Neville's eyes widened. "Oh," he said in realization. "They have other kids that don't know about you?"

Orion snorted. "Something like that," he admitted.

Neville stared at Orion for a moment before turning his head and staring off at nothing in particular. "I can see why you're so upset," he said finally. "I'm really sorry, Ori. I know you've always wanted actual siblings. So what do you want to do?"

Orion sighed as his shoulders sagged. "I really don't know," he admitted. "I'm afraid they'd hate me."

Neville stared at Orion with a raised eyebrow. "Probably not as much as you hate yourself right now," he muttered only to grin when Orion stared at him with wide eyes. "I know you probably better than anyone else, Orion. We've been best friends since the day we met. You've always had to have an answer for everything. The problem here is there's no answer because you don't know the most important part of the story. Whoever gave you that potion is to blame, remember that."

Orion stared at Neville for a long moment with a dumbfounded look on his face. "Who are you and what have you done with Neville?"

Neville grinned. "I've been around you and Remus long enough, haven't I?" he said. "Now, what happened last night that Hayden and Rose refused to tell us?"

Orion cringed and finally told his best friend his longest kept secret. As he thought, Neville hadn't been surprised but he did have a lot of questions of what it had been like. Orion had answered as many questions that he could and was in a much better mood when they finally went to find Hermione. She had been waiting eagerly in the Gryffindor Common Room with Ron and had quickly realized whatever had happened wasn't something Orion wanted everyone to know. Orion was grateful she didn't mention his breakdown but he knew she would corner him eventually.

That was one conversation he really didn't want to have. It was one thing to talk to Neville using vague references. Neville wouldn't push the topic. He understood when to just let things go. Hermione wasn't the same. She pushed until she knew everything before coming to a conclusion which included knowing who Orion's birth parents were. That wasn't fair for Hayden and Rose. They would be the first to know and it would be their parents' responsibility to tell them.

Nothing had been solved per se but Orion was able to think with a clearer head to realize the knowledge didn't change anything. He didn't want anything to do with Mr. and Mrs. Potter and there was no way he could be the 'perfect Harry Potter' Hayden and Rose had mentally created. Orion couldn't compete with that and he didn't want to. He would be their friend—looking out for them from afar. It was better that way for everyone involved.

By the time dinner arrived, the entire school was talking about Remus' resignation. Hayden and Rose had finally returned from their day with the Potters looking overwhelmed and wouldn't tell anyone why. All Hayden would say was that they had learned a lot about their parents' time at Hogwarts. Orion let it go at that. At least the Potters were finally telling their children something.

It wasn't until everyone had gone to bed that Hayden finally cornered Orion by poking his head through Orion's hangings. Holding back a grimace, Orion grabbed his wand and cast a Silencing Charm around his bed so no one else—especially Seamus and Dean would hear the conversation. He could do this. After all, nothing had changed, right?

"So…" Hayden whispered as he sat cross-legged at the foot of Orion's bed. "Dad told me about becoming an Animagus to help Remus. Is that why you did it?"

Orion shook his head. "No, it was more to protect me from him," he whispered back. "As you saw last night, Moony isn't exactly the most friendly when he forgets his potion. We were lucky that his need to protect me overrode the desire to kill."

Hayden nodded as he stared at Orion's bed covers. "Dad told me how bad it could get," he said. "He told me what happened with Snape when they were kids. I can't believe Sirius would do something like that."

"Dad was young and stupid," Orion said bluntly. "He's worked really hard to put that behind him and to make it up to Professor Snape. Remember that they were like Fred and George. Everything was a joke to them but not everyone saw it that way. It wasn't all bad. They did create the Marauder's Map."

Hayden shrugged his shoulders. "I know but it's still hard to think of Dad that way. He's already told me that he won't help me become an Animagus. He said I have enough to worry about."

Orion stared at Hayden curiously. "Do you really want to?" he asked. "If last night hadn't happened, would you have even thought about it?"

Hayden shrugged again. "Probably not," he admitted. "I don't think I could handle _more_ studying. Mum and Dad promised to help me with my Patronus this summer and they're even going to start teaching Rose. Dad doesn't want what happened last night to happen again. I think he and Mum know that we were lucky you showed up when you did."

Orion shifted uncomfortably. He didn't want the Potters to feel like they owed him anything. That sort of obligation would make separating himself from them all the more difficult. "Er—don't worry about it," Orion said at last. "I'm sure you would have done the same for me."

Hayden suddenly looked away. "That's not the point," he said quietly. "I don't think I can do this, Ori. I don't think I can be the-boy-who-lived. I can't even protect my own family. How am I supposed to protect the wizarding world?"

Orion frowned. He really didn't like where this conversation was going. "Er—I don't think anyone expects you to fight anyone alone, Hayden," Orion said carefully. "Besides, you're just a kid—"

"—so are you!" Hayden protested. "Look at us! We're the same age! I should've had the training you've had!"

Orion ran a hand down his tired face. "I really didn't have a choice, Hayden. My magic was out of control. I had to be taught or I would have probably ended up destroying everything in the manor. I couldn't have a normal childhood so don't compare yourself to me. The real question is what you're doing now and it sounds like you're doing what you need to. You're not sitting around doing nothing during the summer like normal kids our age. You're trying to learn what you can."

"I guess," Hayden admitted reluctantly before sliding off the bed. "I should let you get some sleep. You're probably exhausted from last night." He shot Orion a grateful smile. "Thanks Ori, for everything."

Orion watched as his bed hangings closed, blocking Hayden from view. Only then did he bury his face in his hands. This was going to be harder than he thought. Could he really do this? Could he be around Hayden and act like nothing had changed when everything had? There wasn't a choice. The Potter family was a packaged deal. Orion wouldn't be able to choose what members he wanted in his life. For his sanity, distance was the only option.

* * *

Remus' quarters were cleaned out by the following morning with only a note left behind for Orion. Reading the letter had nearly torn Orion's heart in two. It had been from Sirius and Remus stating that they knew Orion needed time to process everything so they would give him that. They would be waiting for him at King's Cross Station unless they heard otherwise. Suddenly, Orion felt so alone even if it was less than a week away.

Once the shock had worn off over Remus' departure, speculation began. The closest rumor was that Remus resigned to try to recover from the illness that plagued him all year. Orion tried not to listen to any of it but found it difficult when he heard some of the more unkind rumors. It had been bound to happen with how quickly Remus left but it was still aggravating. Didn't they know Remus at all?

Telling Ron and Hermione the full story about the night of the full moon had been rather comical. Hermione had immediately started asking questions about the process of becoming an Animagus and what it was like after the transformation. Ron, on the other hand, acted somewhat normally for a pureblood child. He panicked when hearing that Remus was a werewolf but quickly regained control when Hermione scolded him for being narrow-minded. It had been a reaction Remus would have expected but Orion couldn't help feeling disappointed. Why did everyone always focus on the creature that only showed up during the full moon instead of the person they were for the remainder of the time?

Orion spent his remaining days at Hogwarts in somewhat of a daze. He tried to distance himself from Hayden and Rose but Rose made that a challenge. She had been more persistent than Hayden in regards to Remus' condition and Shadow's existence. Neville had stepped in a few times to distract her but she was as determined as Hermione which wasn't always a good thing. Eventually, Orion had to tell Rose it wasn't something they should discuss at Hogwarts and that she should talk to her father about it.

The exam results came out on the last day of term, to nearly everyone's relief. Orion had received top marks on all his classes—except for Herbology where the honor went to Neville. Hayden and Ron had passed every subject and Hermione had been relieved to see her fears of failing everything hadn't come true. Her joy only lasted for about a few minutes before she disappeared for almost an hour only to come back looking more relaxed than what Orion had seen in a long time.

Orion had found out why later when Hermione cornered him and revealed that she had dropped Muggle Studies and turned in the Time Turner—insisting that Professor McGonagall promised there wouldn't be a problem with scheduling next year. To say that Orion shared her relief was an understatement. Adding hours to one's day was more of a hassle than what it was worth.

For the third year in a row, Gryffindor had won the House championship although it was mostly due to winning the Quidditch Cup. Oliver was ecstatic, claiming it was the best way to end his final year at Hogwarts. Orion didn't want to think of what that meant for next year. Oliver was a little too obsessed with Quidditch but he had been a great captain. Gryffindor was going to have their work cut out for them next year.

Anxiousness overrode everything when the Hogwarts Express finally pulled away from Hogsmeade Station. Orion couldn't wait to finally see Sirius and Remus. The days of silence from them had been almost painful. He wanted to run to them and apologize more than anything at the moment. Neville had been right. Until he knew the full story, it wasn't right to force blame on anyone—especially Sirius and Remus. The Potters, on the other hand, he wasn't so forgiving. He would be perfectly fine if he never spoke to them again.

Ron was the first to pull Orion out of his thoughts. "So, it's the Quidditch World Cup this summer!" he said excitedly. "We should all go! Dad can usually get tickets from work."

Hayden frowned. "I don't know if my parents would let me," he said grudgingly. "They may think it's too risky."

"Then have your dad come along," Ron insisted. "It's the World Cup, Hayden! It doesn't happen around here often!" Ron shifted his gaze to Orion and Neville. "What about you two?"

"Dad will probably be working security for it," Orion answered with a shrug. "Maybe I can convince him to let us go. It's been a while since I've seen an international Quidditch game."

Ron beamed. "Excellent," he said before turning back to Hayden. "Talk to your parents, okay?"

Hayden nodded although he didn't look too optimistic. Only time would tell. They were all distracted when the witch with the tea cart arrived for lunch followed by several games of Exploding Snap. It felt oddly normal—a group of friends playing a silly game with no complications. The simple act gave Orion hope. He could do this. He just needed to stop thinking about the complications.

When they pulled into the King's Cross Station, Orion eagerly stared out the window for any sight of Sirius and Remus. The problem was there were just too many people to really pick anyone out. Disappointment filled Orion as he followed his friends out of the compartment and off the train. Hermione spotted her parents first, quickly hugging each of them before running off with Crookshanks in her arms. Ron was next although he had help from Fred and George nearly pulling him away. He only had time to wave and promise he'd write before he was out of sight.

Orion was about to venture into the crowd with he heard it—a loud, deep bark that could only come from one particular animal. There was no hesitation. Orion bid a quick goodbye to Hayden and Rose before rushing into the crowd. He frantically pushed his way past people and through families who had already reunited, not stopping until he caught sight of Padfoot's shaggy fur. Padfoot let out another bark and—with a _pop_—was replaced by Sirius. Orion suddenly felt nervous and could see that Sirius felt the same. They were just too alike for their own good.

"Dad," Orion said shakily. "I'm sorry."

Sirius' nervousness was quickly replaced by regret. "No, kiddo, I'm sorry," he said as he rested his hands on Orion's shoulders. "I never meant to hurt you. I just wanted to protect you but I promise—no more secrets."

Orion smiled in relief. "Good because I have so many questions."

Sirius nodded in understanding. "I'll answer what I can," he said then looked around. "Where are Neville and Cedric?"

"Right here!" Neville shouted as he pushed his way through. "Merlin, Orion. I'm not part bloodhound!"

"You're telling me," Cedric said with a grin. "He had us going in circles."

"Well we can't all have an excellent sense of direction," Orion added with a smile.

"Now, now boys," Remus interjected patiently. "Neville's not to blame." Neville nodded proudly. "His parents have horrible internal compasses too."

"Oye! That's below the belt!" Neville protested earning laughs from Orion and Cedric.

Sirius kept his hands on Orion's shoulders as they left the platform and continued walking out of the train station. The grip was reassuring in a way, as if it was confirming that no matter what it took; Sirius would be there throughout the journey. Glancing up at Sirius, Orion had to admit that no matter what happened in the past to bring him here, he wouldn't trade it for anything. He was glad he had this family and friends that stood by him through everything.

He was glad he was Orion Black.

* * *

A/N: And that is the end of Dementors of Azkaban. Goblet of Fire has already been started so reviews will determine how fast it's put up. :-)


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